THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  SHORT-STORY 


IN 

THE  SIXTEENTH  CENTURY 

BY 

EDITH  DOANE  FLEMING 
A.  B.  Southwestern  College,  191  7 


THESIS 

Submitted  in  Partial  Fulfillment  of  the  Requirements  for  the 

Degree  of 

MASTER  OF  ARTS 
IN  ENGLISH 

IN 

THE  GRADUATE  SCHOOL 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


1922 


7 i. 


' 


/ 3 Ja  2. -3 


) 922 
F~  6 2. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
THE  GRADUATE  SCHOOL 

September-  12,  ^ 

i — 192 — 

I HEREBY  RECOMMEND  THAT  THE  THESIS  PREPARED  UNDER  MY 
SUPERVISION  BY EDITH  DO  All.  FLEEING- 

ENTITLED  THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  SHORT  STORY  IN  THE 
SIXTEENTH  CENTURY 


BE  ACCEPTED  AS  FULFILLING  THIS  PART  OF  THE  REQUIREMENTS  FOR 


Recommendation  concurred  in* 

Committee 

on 

Final  Examination* 


‘Required  for  doctor's  degree  but  not  for  master’s 

509411 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


https://archive.org/details/developmentofshoOOflem 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

Pst^0 

CHAPTER  I HISTORY  OF  THE  SUBJECT,  DEFINITIONS,  AND  PURPOSE  OF 

THIS  INVESTIGATION 1 

List  of  Unavailable  Stories 10 

CHAPTER  II  HISTORY  OF  THE  SHORT-STORY  FROM  1500  to  1565 11 

Table  of  the  Earliest  Fictions  of  the  Century 12 

Table  of  Fictions  from  the  4tli  Century  to  1500 15 

"The  Goodli  History  of  Lucres" 25 

CHAPTER  III  HISTORY  OF  THE  SHORT-STORY  FROM  1565-1579  30 

William  Painter's  Palace  of  Pleasure 30 

His  Short-Stories 43 

Geoffrey  Fenton's  Tragical  Discourses 59 

George  Pettie's  Petite  Palace 65 


CHAPTER  IV  HISTORY  OF  THE  SHORT- STORY  FROM  1580-1599 77 

Barnaby  Riche 78 

Robert  Greene 87 

"Tarleton's  News" 95 

Thomas  Lodge 96 

Thoms  Deloney 97 

Nicholas  Breton 100 


1. 


CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  SUBJECT,  DEFINITIONS,  AND  PURPOSE  OF  THIS  INVESTIGATION. 

The  short  prose  fictions  (narratives  of  20,000  words  or  less)  of  the 

sixteenth  century  have  received  very  little  attention  in  histories  of  fiction. 

Usually  historians  have  treated  these  narratives  primarily  in  regard  to  their 

influence  on  the  plot  end  style  of  later  literature,  the  drama  and  the  novel 

in  particular.  Dunlop's  History  of  prose  Fiction  (1814)  does  not  refer  to 

them,  but  Mr.  K.  Wilson  in  his  revised  edition  of  Dunlop  (1911)  makes  brief 

mention  of  the  collections  of  stories  by  Painter,  Whetstone,  and  Grimstone; 

he  relates  them  to  Shakespeare's  dramas,  and  gives  a short  reference  to 

Lodge's  Forbonius  and  Prisceria,  and  Whetstone’s  Promos  and  Cassandra.  Mr. 

Wilson,  however,  treats  these  two  narratives  merely  with  reference  to  the 

including  of  verse  vdthin  the  body  of  prose  narratives.^  Charles  Herford 

(1886)  speaks  of  the  Pleasant  Historie  of  Friar  Rush,  but  only  in  connection 

2 

with  an  early  drama  formed  from  the  Rush  legend."  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  (1894) 
enumerates  Painter,  Whetstone,  and  Greene;  Painter  as  furnishing  material 
for  the  playhouses  of  England;  Whetstone  and  A Groat's  Worth  of  Wit  as  bear- 
ing on  the  biography  of  Greene.^  Mr.  E. A. Baker,  in  his  1907  edition  of  Thams' 
Early  English  prose  Romances,  has  an  introductory  chapter  in  which  he  traces 
the  sources  of  Robert  the  Devil,  Vi  rp-.il  ius , Geo  rge-a-Greene,  and  Robin  Hood. 

Mr.  Holliday  (1912),  in  treating  English  Fiction  from  the  Fifth  to  the 
Twentieth  Century,  mentions  Painter,  Fonton,  Robin  Hood,  Greene's  Mirror  of 
Modesty,  and  Groat's  Worth  of  Wit,  and  Nicholas  Breton’s  Mi s e ri e s of  M avil  1 i a . 

1 

Dunlop,  J.C.,  History  of  Prose  Fiction  (1911 ) ,vol  .II , chap. XIV ,p .553 • 

2 

Herford,  Charles,  The  Literary  Relations  of  England  and  Germany  in  the 
Sixteenth  Century  (1886),  chap.V,  part  4,  p.311. 

^Raleigh,  Sir  Walter,  The  English  Novel  (1894),  chap. II,  pp. 27, 28 ,50,65. 


•* 


'/  / 


' _ 

In  each  case  Mr.  Holliday  is  interested  exclusively  in  the  influence  of  plot 
on  later  novels  and  dramas.  Professor  Saintsbury  (1913)  makes  this  brief 
statement  concerning  painter's  Palace  of  Pleasure:- 

"Painter's  huge  Palace  of  Pleasure  (15&6)  is  only  the  largest  and  best 
known  of  many  translations,  single  and  collected,  of  Italian  novellieri  and  the 
French  tale-tellers,  contemporary,  or  of  times  more  or  less  earlier". ^ 

Elizabethan  Translations  from  the  Italian,  by  Mary  Augusta  Scott, 
supplies  a valuable  tebl6  of  Romances  in  Prose.  This  list  includes  fictions 
of  all  lengths;  and  Chapter  I gives  editions  of  the  various  translations  of  each 
narrative,  stating  their  sources  and  their  influence  cn  plots  of  other  fictions.^ 
But  no  one,  so  far  as  I have  been  atie  to  ascertain,  has  included,  in  a history 
of  fiction,  a study  of  the  short- stories  cf  the  sixteenth  century,  dealing  with 
their  literary  structure,  or  considering  them  as  precursors  of  the  modem  short- 
story. 

Students  and  critics  of  the  short-stcry  of  later  centuries  have  been 

\ 

concerned  chiefly  vith  its  development  since  the  time  of  Poe.  Those  who 
trace  the  evolution  of  the  short-stcry  usually  treat  the  sources  of  the  plots. 

The  shorter  prose,  previous  to  Poo,  has  been  considered  an  unorganized,  structure- 
less narrative,  called  a "tale".  For  this  reason  sixteenth  century  prose  hae 
been  very  lightly  passed  over.  Poe,  in  1846,  explained  the  structure  of  a 
"story". ^ His  essay  is  now  credited  with  being  the  first  outlinirg  of  the 
form  and  purpose  of  the  literary  type  since  defined  by  Grander  Matthews  (1885) 
as  a distinct  technique  applied  to  narrative.  Neither  of  these  v/riters  dealt 

1Saintsbury,  George,  The  English  Novel  (1913),  chap. II,  p.33« 

2 

Scott,  Mary  Augusta,  Elizabethan  Translations  from  the  Italian  (1916), 
pp.xix-xxi,  3-79 • 

3poe,  Edgar  Allen,  The  Philosophy  of  Composition  (1846). 

^Matthews,  Grander,  The  Philosophy  of  the  Short-stcry  (1901). 


3. 

with  stories  of  the  period  under  discussion.  Mr.  Thompson  (1890)^  quotes 
Brander  Matthews'  definition,  and  makes  a contrast  between  the  short-story  and 
the  novel;  and  Mr.  Sherwin  Cody,  in  his  preface  and  introduction  to  The  World*  s 
Greatest  Short-stories,  lists  no  stories  from  this  century,  professor  Canby  in 
The  Short- Story  (1902)  expressed  the  opinion  that  there  is  no  manifest  dis- 
tinction between  the  structure  of  long  and  short  prose  in  the  sixteenth 

2 y A 

century.  Professor  Bliss  Perry"  and  Miss  E.M.  Albright  ignore  the  sixteenth 

5 

century  stories.  It  remained  for  Professor  Canby  to  notice  the  place  of 
sixteenth  century  stories  in  the  evolution  of  the  modern  type,  when,  in  1909, 
he  published  The  Short-Story  in  English, --a  thorough  and  scholarly  treatment 
of  the  historical  development  of  the  technique  of  short-story  writing  and  a 
new  departure.  He  studies  the  narratives,  however,  as  collections  of  "novella”, 
rather  than  individually  as  specimens  of  the  technique  of  a new  form  of  prose. ^ 
Two  more  works  by  Mr.  Canby  appeared  in  1912  and  1913*  The  Book  of  the 


Thompson,  D.G.-  The  Philosophy  o r vjetien  in  Literature  (1890). 

^Canby,  H.S.,  The  Short-Story  (1902),  p.7. 

3perry,  Bliss. ^ A Study  of  Prose  Fiction,  (1902). 

4 Albright,  Miss  E . M . ^ The  Short-story  (1909)« 


?Cf.  also  Dawson,  William  J.  and  C.Yf.?  The  Great  English  Short-story 
Writers;  Esenwein , J.Berg,  Writing  the  Short-story  (1909),  p.6  ff. 


Gascoigne's  Ferdinando  and  Jeronimi;  The  Discourse  of  Rinaldo  and 
Gelitta , and  three  of  Petties'  stories  are  treated  briefly. 


- 


4. 


Short-story  gives  a chronological  list  of  stories  of  various  nations,  including 
jest  books,  and  a wide  range  of  fiction.  This  is  the  first  attempt  of  its  kind. 
In  regard  to  the  structure  of  early  narratives,  Mr.  Canby  says: 

"Generally  speaking,  then,  there  would  seem  to  be  no  generic  distinction 

1 

in  narrative  before  the  nineteenth  century,  other  than  short  and  long". 

A Study  of  the  Short- story  refers  to  Painter's  Palace  of  Pleasure  as  "the 
new  she rt- story"  , and  expresses  the  opinion  that  the  followers  of  Painter  "allow- 
ed their  translations  to  become,  at  the  expense  of  an  opportunity  to  become 
great  fiction,  almost  the  Elizabethan  of  Elizabethan  Literature."  In  the 
chapter  on  The  Elizabethan  Lovell  a Mr.  Canby  seems  to  indicate  that  he  attri- 
butes the  crystallization  of  the  short-story  form  to  the  writers  of  Elizabethan 
2 

novelliu  The  "simple  stories"  contained  within  Tarleton's  News  Out  of 
Purgatory , The  Co  bier  of  Canterburie,  are  mentioned.  Painter,  Fenton,  Lyly, 
Pettie,  and  Greene  he  considers  the  important  agents  in  the  development  of  the 
Elizabethan  short-story.  He  is  the  first  writer  to  become  interested  in  the 
sixteenth  century  prose  narrative  as  a germ  of  the  modem  short-story  tech- 
nique. 

Mr.  E.  A.  Crose^  does  not  deal  with  this  century.  Mr.  S.P.  Sherman 
mentions  Painter's  Palace  of  Pleasure  , and  agrees  with  Mr.  Canby  that  there 
have  been  short-stories  in  almost  every  literature  at  some  period  of  its 
national  existence.^ 

The  narratives  of  the  sixteenth  century  have  heretofore  been  indis- 
criminately classed  together  as  "novella'.'  The  term  novella  has  been  very 

^Canby,  K.S.,The  Book  of  the  Short-story  (1912)  ,pp. 13-20. 

“Canby,  H.S.,  A Study  of  the  Sho  rt-story  (1913)  >P.  154.  "Least  tangible,  but 
certainly  not  least  important,  the  good  plot,  with  a climax  and  conclusion,  came 
into  prose  fiction  with  the  short-story,  and,  in  this  period,  for  a while  at 
least,  superseded  the  disunity  of  the  romance". 

^Cross,  E.A.,  The  Sho  rt-story  (1914). 

4Sherman,  S.P.^A  Book  of  Short  Stories  (1914).  Introduction. 


*•« 


. 


. 


• ^ 


5. 


loosely  used  to  include  translations  from  Italy  and  France,  and  the  term 
"romance"  has  been  applied  to  translations  from  the  Greek.  Historians  have 
not  made  any  special  distinction  between  "short"  and  "long"  narratives,  or  studied 
carefully  the  technique  of  the  individual  narratives  in  the  collections  of 
"novella".  Sixteenth  century  authors  and  translators  were  themselves  satisfied 
to  call  their  stories  "novels",  although  these  collections  contain  fictions  of 
varied  structure.  For  example,  Painter's  "novels"  consist  sometimes  of  stories, 
of  a single  incident—  "The  Miracle  at  Lyons — sometimes  of  philosophical 

arguments  — "The  Orations  of  the  Sythian  Ambassadors  to  Alexander  the  Great, 

2 

Reproving  his  ambition  and  desire  of  Empire.  They  are  sometimes  long  stories 
of  intricate  plot,  numerous  characters,  and  many  situations,  e.g.  The  Lorde  of 
Nocera;~  at  other  times  they  are  merely  a chain  of  loosely  connected  incidents— 
e.g.  Sultan  Solvmen^,  and  Guen  Anne  of  Hungary^  There  are  some  stories  also, 
in  Painter's  collection,  which  contain  few  incidents,  few  characters,  a climax, 
a discemable  "atmosphere",  and  one  compelling  situation  — e.g.  Mit-hradanes 
and  Nathan.^ 

From  the  foregoing  survey  it  would  seem,  then,  that  a close  inspection  of 
sixteenth  century  narratives  might  lead  to  a new  classification  of  these 
stories  and  thus  to  a more  precise  understanding  of  the  history  of  the  short- 
story.  Such  a reclassification  and  history  it  is  my  purpose  to  attempt. 

To  begin  with,  it  is  essential  that  I make  clear  my  usage  of  the  term 
"eho rt-stcry" . The  majority  of  scholars  who  have  interested  themselves  in 
this  particular  field  of  fiction  are  agreed  that  the  short- story  is  the  result 
of  a definite,  highly- finished  literary  method,  the  details  of  such  a method 

Slovel  65. 

2Novel  13. 

-^Novel  33. 

4Novel  34. 

%lc  vel  21. 

Novel  18. 


. 


: 


' 


'i 


l 


6. 


being  determined  by  the  purpose  of  the  narrator.  Edgar  Allen  Poe  has  explained* 
more  clearly  than  anyone  else,  the  necessity  of  a nucleus  around  which  to  build 
a short-story.*  This  nucleus,  he  insists,  is  not  necessarily  a plot,  a charac- 
ter, or  a distinct  geographical  or  historical  setting,  but  an  emotion  — a 

mental  reaction  which  is  to  be  the  predominant  effect  of  that  plot,  character, 

2 

or  setting.  In  fact  the  nucleus  may  be  contained  in  any  one,  or  it  may  be  in 
two  or  in  all  three  of  the  essentials  of  narrative  organization.  But,  in  any 
case,  the  situation,  the  compelling  interest  of  the  story,  must  be  clear-cut 
and  well  defined. 

Most  of  the  disagreement  and  argument  in  regard  to  the  definition  of 
the  short-story  has  arisen  from  the  disinclination  of  its  critics  to  relinquish 
the  promiscuous  application  of  the  term  "tale*  to  all  sorts  of  brief  narrative. 

We  arrive  nowhere  by  clinging  to  the  original  definition  of  "a  tale" ,and  "a  story" 
for  these  words  were  made  all-inclusive.  "The  short-story"  as  a term,  has  grown 
out  of  the  need  for  a distinctive  name  for  a definite  literary  structure.  This 
sifting  has  made  it  necessary  to  redefine  the  "tale".  One  does  not  need  to 

^Poe,  E.  A.,  The  Philosophy  of  Composition  (1846). 

o 

See  also:  Williams,  Miss  B.C.,  Handbook  on  Short-story  Writing  (1914). 

^uotestein  and  Dunn,  The  Modem  Short-Story  (1914),  p.  12:  "The  tale  is 

the  sum  of  parts  unrelated  while  the  short-story  is  a vital  whole." 

Miss  Albright  states  that  the  modern  definition  of  the  tale  is  that  it  is 
"a  single  incident  or  episode".  Thj s would  make  the  tale  narrower  in  range 
than  the  short-story,  and  parallel  with  the  anecdote  or  sketch.  "The  word  tale 
is  now  applied  to  a particular  form  of  short-story."  — The  Short  Story  (1909), 

p.  11. 

Esenwein  defines  the  tale  as  "an  unplotted  chain  of  incidents."  — Short 
Story  Masterpieces.  French  (1912),  Introduction,  pp.  5-6. 


' 


( • • . 


- 


' 


■ 


7. 


read  far  to  eee  that  there  are  short  fictions  which  lack  the  artistic  com- 
pression and  the  keenly  perceptible  effect  of  a short-story,  but  in  substance 
seem  to  be  enlarged  short- stories,  or  short  novels;  nor  that  there  are,  on  the 
other  hand,  narratives  which  are  not  as  highly  organized  as  either  of  these 
two  forms.  With  rare  exceptions,  these  two  methods  of  telling  a story  have 
come  to  be  called,  respectively,  "novelettes”  and  "tales”.  The  term  "novelette" 
is  often  felt  to  be  an  objectionable  term,  yet  there  seems  to  be  no  available 
word  in  the  English  language,  nor  in  other  tongues  is  there  a word  which  can  be 
conveniently  adapted.  The  Italian  term  "novella"  is  awkward  for  our  purpose, 
since  it  has  been  used  only  in  the  plural;  furthermore  it  would  be  confusing  to 
redefine  a word  which  has  been  so  long  used  to  designate  "Italianate  tales"  of 

all  manners  of  construction^  The  French  term  "nouvelle”  does  not  convey 

2 

exactly  the  meaning  of  "novelette".  Waite  and  Taylor  in  Modem  Masterpieces 
of  Short  Prose  Fiction  define  stories  of  a single  incident,  v.dthout  climax  as 
"mere  narrative".  This  term  does  not  seem  to  me  to  be  definite  enough  to  be 
serviceable.  If  we  must  redefine  the  "tale"  to  classify  "a  separate  type  of 
short-story"^  what  are  v;e  to  do  for  a classification  for  the  "mere  chain  of 
incidents"?  There  are  enough  such  narratives  cf  interest,  i,f  not  of  literary 
value,  to  merit  a definite  classification. 

Mr.  Canby  has  given  an  account  of  the  art  of  a short-story  writer,  which, 
supplemented  by  a concrete  example  of  the  choice  of  method  which  the  writer 
of  narrative  has  at  his  behest,  I think  will  make  sufficiently  clear  my  divi- 
sion of  narrative  into  three  types  or  classifications:  - 

"It  is  with  the  short-story  as  with  the  novel,—  its  elements 
are  to  be  found  elsewhere,  but  it  is  their  combination,  and  their 

1 

Miss  Albright  (Introduction  p.ll)  quotes  Howells  in  the  North  American 
for  Sept. ,1901,  "the  novella  (Short-story)  embodies  a drama,  and  develops  a 
type." 

2Esenwein:  Short-story  Masterpieces;  French,  p.8-9. 


3 Alb right ; p.ll 


V> 


4 


t 


t )(* 


=> 


.. 


' . 


8. 


development  when  so  combined  which  results  in  a form  distinct 

from  its  antecedents1 The  process  is  very  artificial,  but 

very  powerful;  it  is  like  turning  a telescope  upon  one  nebula 
in  the  heavens.  Thus  it  is  the  standpoint  of  the  author  that 
makes  the  distinction  between  a short  novel,  always  excepting  the 
impressionistic  variety,  and  the  long  short-story.  In  the  one 
the  writer  digests  life  histories  or  portions  of  them;  in  the 
other  he  looks  only  for  the  episode,  which  like  the  bubble  on 
the  stream,  is  part  of,  yet  distinguished  from  the  main  current. 
Recognizing  the  futility  in  certain  cases,  and  the  needleseness 
in  others,  of  expressing  the  whole  truth,  he  succeeds  much 
better  with  the  half.  He  forgoes  completeness  and  gains  in 
force,  and  this  by  a change  in  the  standpoint  from  which  he  views 
his  world  of  fact  and  fancy."2 

To  illustrate:-  A murder  has  been  committed  in  Elm  Street.  It  is  a well- 
to-do  residence  neighbo rhood.  The  murdered  man  was  found  in  the  house  across 
the  street,  just  opposite  his  own  home.  An  account  of  the  incidents  following 
the  finding  of  the  dead  man,  concerning  itself  especially  with  the  reaction  of 
the  dewllers  in  the  house  where  he  was  fo und,  expressing  their  horror  and 
shocked  surprise,  would  be  a short-story.  Another  short-story  might  be  told  to 
emphasize  the  terror  of  the  neighbor  who  dreaded  being  found  guilty.  Still  a 
third  might  relate  the  grief  of  the  bereaved  family  as  its  point  of  emphasis. 

A novelette  might  be  written  concerning  the  same  plot.  It  would  relate 
the  resultant  incidents  in  all  three  houses,  with  reference  to  all  three 
situations  --  horror,  terror  of  guilt,  grief.  Of  necessity  this  narrative 
would  emphasize  more  characters,  and  perhaps  would  relate  the  former  life  of 
some  of  them. 

If  one  of  the  neighbors  should  relate  to  someone  the  discovery  of  the 
murder,  digressing  frequently  to  include,  in  an  unpremeditated  fashion,  similar 
tragedies  which  had  occurred  in  the  city,--  this  conversation  would  afford 
material  for  "a  tale",  — an  unplotted  chain  of  events,  the  sum  of  parts  remotely 
rel ated . 

■^Canby,  H.S.,  The  Short-Story  (1902),  p.20. 

2Canby,  H.S.^  The  Short-Story  (1902),  p.26. 


Briefly  then,  I may  state  my  definitions  as  follows:- 

A short-story  is  a short  fiction  producing  a single  emotional  effect  by 
means  of  sustained  emphasis  on  a single  character,  climactic  incident,  or 
situation.^ 

A novelette  is  a short  fiction  employing  many  characters,  and  centering 
interest  in  the  unravelling  of  an  intricate  plot;  a condensed  novel. 

A tale  is  a short  fiction  whose  chief  interest  is  in  a series  of  incidents 
having  no  sustained  or  elaborate  plot,  or  singleness  of  effect. 

For  two  reasons  it  has  been  necessary  to  determine  upon  a limit  of  length 
for  the  fictions  which  a re  to  be  studied.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  imperative 
that  the  material  for  my  discussion  be  limited  sufficiently  to  allow  of  a 
thorough  treatment  within  the  range  of  a master's  thesis.  Secondly,  the  subject 
matter  itself  urges  a limit  of  length,  approximately  20,000  words,  for  the 
narratives  which  may  be  classed  as  sho  rt  stories;  for  although  there  sre 
comparatively  brief  stories  which  more  nearly  resemble  the  novel  than  any  other 
structure,  yet  for  the  most  part  those  narratives  which  exceed  20,000  words  are 
either  loosely  constructed  incidents,  or  "tales",  or  else  they  are  found  to 
include  so  many  situations  and  digressions  that  the  result  is  a short  novel. 

Through  this  study  of  the  sixteenth  century  short  prose  fiction  I hope 
to  answer  the  following  questions:-  (1)  Are  there  any  good  examples  of  the 
ehort-stcry  form,  as  we  now  use  the  term,  among  these  narratives?  (2)  If  there 
are  no  short-stories,  what  approaches  to  this  form  may  be  found?  (3)  What  im- 
provement or  development  in  literary  skill  in  the  structure  of  narratives  has 

2 

been  gained  in  the  century? 

^1  have  followed  more  closely  than  any  other,  the  definition  given  by 
Noteetein  and  Dumiin  The  Modern  Short-story  (1914),  p.  1*6.  "The  short-story  is  a 
narrative  producing  a single  emotional  impression  by  means  of  sustained 
emphasis  on  a single  climactic  incident  or  situation." 

2 

A large  number  of  fictions  are  inaccessible  to  me.  I am  unable  in 
some  instances  to  know  whether  the  narratives  are  of  long  or  short  types.  The 


*'* 


i 


* 

‘ 


i 


• , ' <• 


j i 


* 


f 

• . ■ ’ ’ ’ 


10. 

following  is  a eomprehensi 

ve  list  of  the  stories  I 

failed  to  obtain:- 

1511  -"Ponthus  of  Galyce 

1578  -Henry  Wotton' s 

I59O  -Translation  of 

and  of  Lytell 

"Courtlie  Con- 

Bartheleimi  Aneau's 

Brytane". 

trovc-rsie" . 

"The  Cock". 

1518  -"Fredrick  of  Jemen" 

1579  -T.Purfoote' s 

1590  -"The  Gobi er  of 

15l8?-"Mary  of  Nemmegan." 

"Forest  of  Fancy" 

. Canterburie" . 

1518  -"Oliver  of  Castile." 

1579  -Stephen  Gosson’s 

1590  -Henry  Robert's  "Defiance 

1521  -"Christine  de  Pisa" 

"The  Ephemerides 

to  Fortune". 

1528  -"The  Destruction  of 

of  Phialo". 

1590  -"Phillip's  Venus"  by  M. 

Jerusalem  by  Vespa- 

1579  -Abraham  Fleming's 

Jo. 

zias  and  Tytus." 

translation  of 

1592  -Bam.  Rich's  "Adventures 

154-8  -Diego  de  San  Pedro's 

"Hemetes" . 

of  Brusanus". 

"The  Castle  of  Love" 

1580  -Humphrey  Gifford' 

sl594  -John  Dickenson's  "Arisbas 

1556  -"The  History  of 

"Poeie  of  C-illc- 

or  Cupid's  Journey  to 

Aurelius  and  Isa- 

flowers". 

Hell". 

belle.." 

1581  -John  Carthenie's 

1595  -Robert  Parry's 

1560  -"Eurialus  and  Lu~ 

"Voyage  of  the 

"Moderatus  History  of 

cresia 

Van de ring  Knight" 

, the  Black  Knight". 

1568  -Edmund  Tilney's 

translated  by 

1596  -"Cent  Histories  Tra- 

"Flower  of  Friend- 

William  Goodyear. 

giques" . 

ship" . 

1582  -Whetstone ' s "Hep- 

1597  -Thos.  Beard's  "The 

1571  -Thoe.Fortiscue' s 

tameron  of  Civil 

Theatre  of  God's 

"The  Forest". 

Discourses" . 

Judgments". 

1573  -James  Sanford’s 

1583  -"History  of  Ger- 

1597  -Jo.Goubourne' s "Affrican 

translation  "The 

ilion  of  England" 

• and  Mensola". 

Garden  of  pleasure" 

1583  -Brian  Milbaucke's 

1597  -"Queen  of  Navarre  Tales". 

1574  -M0lyver  Aldwanton' s 

"Philotimus" . 

1598  -"Bellianie,  The  Honor 

Image  of  Idleness’.' 

1584  -William  Averill's 

of  Chivalrie". 

1574  -Esrnaby  Rich’s 

"Dyall  for  Dainty  1598  -John  Dickinson's  "Greeve 

Dialogue  between 

Darlings" . 

in  Conciipt:  Tragi que 

Mercury  and  an 

1584  -Second  part  of 

Historic  of  faire 

English  Soldier". 

Ri  ch ' s ’’  Farewe  11 " 

. Valeria  of  London". 

1575  -Claudius  Holy- 

1584  -William  Warner' s 

1598  -Henry  Robert's  "Honor's 

band's  "Arualte 

"Pan  His  Syrinx". 

Conquest". 

and  Lucenda". 

1587  -Hodley's  trans- 

1599  -Richard  Lynche' s "Four- 

1576  -Tho e. Churchyard' s 

lation  of  "The 

teine  of  Ancient  Fiction". 

"Fo  rtunatus" . 

Banishment  of 

1576  -Whetstone's  "Rock 

Cupid". 

of  Regard". 

1587  -Bart  .Young' s 

1577  -Robert  Smith's 

"Amorous  Fiametta 

ft 

• 

"Tragical  Hist  or- 

1588  -Munday' s "Palme rin 

ies". 

d'  Olivia" . 

1578  -"Tarleton's  Tra- 

1590  -William  Averill’s 

gi  cal  T re  at  i se  s " . 

"Four  Notable 
Histories". 

CHAPTER  II. 


If. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SHORT- STORY  FROM  1500-1565. 

An  understanding  of  that  which  has  gone  before  is  essential  to  the 
critical  study  of  any  sort  of  work  in  any  given  historical  period.  As  Mr. 

Canby  has  said,  "Precedent  is  everything  in  story-telling,  which  is  the  most 
conservative  of  the  arts"."1 2’  Therefore  a rapid  survey  of  the  art  of  narrative- 
writing which  the  sixteenth  century  received  as  its  heritage  from  previous 
ages  may  aid  us  in  making  an  estimate  of  the  stories  which  were  written  in  the 
period  of  1500-1565»  the  first  division  of  our  study  of  sixteenth  century 
short  prose. 

There  are  two  points  of  departure  in  a study  of  the  heritage  of  the 
2 

short  story:  (1)  a tracing  of  the  purpose  to  write  the  unreal  or  imaginative 

as  real,— that  is,  the  birth  and  growth  of  fiction , is  one  consideratio  n.  (2) 

The  development  of  the  purpose  to  find,  and  use  an  artistic  method  which  would 
produce  the  "finished"  short-story  (whether  this  method  is  used  in  prose,  in 
poetry,  or  in  drama)  is  a second  consideration.  Neither  one  of  these  investiga- 
tions can  be  completely  covered  in  this  discussion;  but  I vill  attempt  a brief 
outline  of  the  chief  gains  toward  the  short- story  previous  to  1500,  and  hope 
that  the  accompanying  table  of  writings  will  prove  of  service  to  a closer  study 
by  other  students.  Professor  Canby  in  the  first  five  chapters  of  The  Short- 
story  in  English  has  so  carefully  covered  the  development  of  the  "story  sense" 
that  it  is  needless  to  repeat  that  study  here.  However,  I have  made  use  of 
Mr.  Canby' s text  for  the  completion  of  my  chronological  table. 

The  earliest  fictions  were  unconsciously  fictitious.  They  were  "histories " 
of  saints'  lives,  which  grew  from  brief,  true  stories  of  the  lives  of  godly  men, 

1Canby,  H.S.J  The  Short  Story  in  English  (1909),  p.76. 

2 

Matthews,  Branderj  The  Historical  Novel  and  Other  Essays  (1914),  p.83. 


12. 


Chronological  Table  of  the  Earliest  Prose  of  the  Sixteenth  Century:- 


Prose  Fictions 


Sources 


1510-15  "Gesta  Romanorum" 


1510-  "King  Appolyn  of  Thyre" 


Valerius  Maximus 
Macrobius 
Aulus  Gellius 
Pliny 
Seneca 
Boetheus 
Ovid 

"Bearlam  and  Josophat"  romance 
"Be  Clericali  Discipline" 

Fables  of  Bidpai 
"Arabian  Nights" 

Caxton's  "Golden  Legend" 

"Aesop's  Fables" 

"Turkish  Tales" 

"Persian  Tales" 

Aristotle’s  "Secretura  Secretorum" 
Miracles  of  Mary  » conte  devot. 


Various 
lengths ; 
all  under 
13 , 000  words , 


Greek  Legend 
"Gesta  Romano rum" 


21,000  words 


cl510-  "Robert  the  Devil"; 

Wyrikin  de  Worde 


01512  "Helyas,  Knight  of  the 
Swanne" 


Latin  of  Etienne  de  Bourbon 
English  prose  tale,  1496 
French  prose  tale  direct  source 


19,800  " 


Maitre  de  Guise:  "Chronicle  of  Over  35,000 
Tongues"  words. 


01518  "Virgilius",  translated 
by  John  Doesborcke 


"Les  Foits  mervelleaux  de 
virgille" 


13,000  words 


cl530  "Friar  Bacon" 

C1530  "George-a-Green" 

1530-70  "Guy  of  Warwick" 

cl530  "Robin  Hood"  (lost) 


Life  and  work  of  Roger  Bacon 
a scientist  and  scholar  of 
the  13th  century 

"Robin  Hood  Tales"  and  real 
English  characters 

French  prose  of  1525 

Metrical  Romances 


20,800  " 

19,  500  " 

35,  000  " 


• . 


13 


written  by  monks  who  witnessed  their  saintly  characters,  into  long  accounts 
of  wonders,  miracles,  end  sayings  of  these  saintly  men  wnich  were  almost 
entirely  imagined.  At  first  this  straining  of  truth  and  adding  of  imaginary 
material  was  due  wholly  to  a love  of  miracles,  a wonder-worship.  Later, 
religious  jealousies  and  local  ambitions  caused  the  writers  to  attempt  to 
picture  their  favorites  in  a superior  light,  wishing  to  bring  a local  church 
into  notice.  It  came  doout  quite  naturally  that  the  same  hero-worship  should 
affect  the  methods  of  writings  concerning  laymen;  and  then  we  have  "fictitious 
biography".^  From  kings  and  nobles,  the  attention  of  literary  men  turned  to 
homespun  heroes  and  neighborhood  characters,  in  later  centuries.  Geoffrey 
of  Monmouth,  in  1135 » saw  his  opportunity  to  aid  himself  in  church  preferment 
and  so  sought  out  Britain’s  traditions.  Since  the  ambitions  of  the  Norman 
kings  for  a strong,  united  Empire  required  a strong  tradition,  Geoffrey  wrote 
his  Historia  Regum  Britannia  , (1139).  Much  of  his  materiel  is  purely  in- 
vention. The  same  is  true  of  William  of  Melmsbury’ s C-esta  Regum  Anglarum, 

(1154),  and  the  Biography  of  Fulke  Fitzwqrine,  (1256-64). 

The  second  half  of  the  fourteenth  century  was  dominated  by  the 

influence  of  Chaucer.  Since  he  made  great  improvement  over  his  predecessors 

in  his  studies  of  character,  he  aided  greatly  in  the  development  of  short- 
2 

story  technique,  but  because  Chaucer's  medium  was  poetry,  he  retarded  the 
development  of  prose  narrative. 

Although  there  were  short  narratives  included  in  almost  everything 
that  was  written  in  these  early  centuries,  not  until  the  Gesta  Romano rurr3(c 1400), 
and  the  translation  of  Aesop  (148l?)  do  we  have  any  comprehensive  attempts  to 

^Adamnan's  Vita  Columba  (690-700). 

Asser's  Life  of  Alfred  (893). 

2Cf. Perry,  Bliss)  A Study  of  Prose  Fiction  (1902) ,pp  .112 , 135,  303. 

Canby,  H.  S.$  The  Short-Story  in  English  (1909)  ,pp. 67-68 . 

3Cf . Early  English  Text  Society  Publications,  vol .1 . 


t 


.1  ■ 


7 


14 


collect  numbers  of  stories  ?;s  stories*  Heretofore  they  have  been  embedded 
in  other  material;  yet  even  now  they  are  written  as  exemplars  and  fables , --with 
a moral  applied. 

From  1400-1450  English  fiction  was  dominated  by  translations  from  the 
French  metrical  romances.  Long  narratives  cf  kings  and  knights  were  corrposed. 
During  this  period  Caxton  published  Malory’s  Morte  d* Arthur  which  includes  a 
mixture  of  French  and  English  matter. 

In  the  following  table  of  fictions  of  the  period  from  the  fourth 
century  to  the  sixteenth,  I have  indicated  by  an  asterisk  the  works  which 
Mr.  Canby  has  carefully  treated  in  his  The  Short- story  in  English. 


1 


•3  ■ 


I . 


15 


II.  Table  of  fictions  of  period  4th  century  to  1500. 


401-410  A.D.  "Vitae  Patrum". 

-Latin  tr.  from  Greek  of  400 
-Later  West  Saxon  ms. 

4th, 5th ,6th  centuries 
prose  saints'  lives. 

"Widsith". 

Prose  chronicles, 
c 650— "Beowulf"  * 

7th  century  Caldmonian  poems. 
690-700  Admnan's  "Vita  Columb<V. 
c690-«St.  Patrick" 

705  —Bede's  "St .Cuthlwrt" . 

709  — Eddin's  "St .Wilfred". 

731  —Miracle  stories  in  Bede's 
"Eccleesticel  History". 

749  —Li fe  of  St.Guthlac" 

893  — Aeser's  "Life  of  Alfred". 

Unlimited  number  of  saints' 

1 i ve  8 . 

---  Anglo  Saxon  chronicle 
1000  "Appolonius  of  Thyre" . 

971  "Blickling  Homilies".* 

1135  Geoffrey  of  Monmouth's 
"Libellue  Millini". 

1139  Geoff,  of  Monmouth's 

"Historis  Regum  Britannia". 

1154  William  of  Malmsbury's  "Gesta 
Regum  Anglo  rum" . 

1200  Layamon's  "Bru^"J 
cl250"Vox  and  Wolf"" 

1256-64  "Fulke  Fitzwarme" 
cl258  "Dame  Siriz".* 

1280-1350 "South- Engli sh  Legendary'.’* 
"Antfren  Reiole"* 
cl359  "Pennyworth  of  Witte". 

14th  century 

Miracles  of  Mary 

---  "Handling  Sin"  by  Roberd  of  Brump 
from  original  of  Wm.of  Washington 
1383-4  Gower*  8 "Confessio  Amantis". 

cl387  Chaucer's  "Canterbury  Tales". 

cl400  "Gesta  Romano  rum" 

— - Lydgate  and  Occleve 

1430  DeGuil vilie'  s Travels, 

1st  part. 

1450  John  Raus's  "Richard  Beau- 

champ Earl  of  Warwick". 
C1450-60  prose"MerlinV 


14  75-6--1489  Caxton's  translations. 

(All  long  narratives). 

1475-6  Raoul  Lefevres' "Recuyll 

of  Historia  Traise." 

" Raoul  Lefevres'  "Jason". 

1481  Wm.  of  Tyres  "Godfrey  of  Bologne". 
cl 48l  "Aesop's  Fables 

148l  "Reynard  the  Fox"  (from  Flemish) 
1483  published  "The  Golden  Legend". 

1483  Deguilville* s Second  Journey;  the 
"Soul  after  Death". 

1484  Geoffrey  de  la  Tour's  "Book  of 
the  Teaching  of  the  Knight  of 
the  Tower". 

1485  "Paris  and  Vienne". 

1485  published  Malory' s "Morte  d' Arthur", 
1485  "Life  of  Charles  the  Great". 

1489  published"Blanchardyn  and 
Egl ant  yn" . 

1489  "The  Four  Sons  of  Aymon". 


l6 . 

In  my  study  of  the  stories  of  the  years  from  1500  to  15^5 » I shall 
seek  answers  to  these  inquiries:-  (1)  Has  there  been  any  conscious  attempt  to 
produce  a unified  narrative?  To  compress  material?  (2)  Has  there  been  any 
attempt  to  draw,  realistically,  individual  characters?  (3)  Is  there  any  con- 
scious  purpose  to  create  the  •‘atmosphere**  which  is  part  of  a short-story?  n tb 
choose  a situation? 

The  first  recorded  work  of  fiction  of  the  sixteenth  century  is  called 
The  Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  (1507);  it  is  a long  narrative  of  which  there  were 
Anglo  Saxon  versions  in  the  eighth  century,  and  consists  principally  of 
accounts  of  miracles,  resembling  the  saints'  legends.  Mr.  Dunlop  traces  the 
Greater  Grail  and  the  Shorter  Grail  legends  to  the  Gospel  of  Nicodemusl  The 
incidents  of  the  association  of  Joseph  of  Aramathea  and  Nicodemus  in  attend- 
ing the  body  of  Christ,  when  }/e  was  taken  down  from  the  cross,  form  the  chief 

2 

theme  of  the  narrative. 

An  edition  of  the  Gesta  Romano  rum  was  published  in  1510-15.  A descrip- 
tion of  this  work,  in  E.  A.  Baker's  Guide  to  the  Best  English  Fiction , reads  as 
follows: 

"A  collection  of  Latin  stories  conpiled  late  in  the  thirteenth 
or  early  in  the  fourteenth  centuries;  author  unknown  and  country 
unascertained;  intended  probably  as  edifying  examples  for  the 
use  of  preachers.  English  translation  printed  by  Wyijken  de  Worde, 
1510-15.  A parallel  compilation  to  that  of  Chevalier  de  la  Tour- 
Lendrys,  all  the  talcs,  whatsoever  their  nature  and  origin,  being 
burdened  with  a Christian  moral.  Sources  various--oriental , class- 
ical, and  mediaeval.  A Latin  translation  of  the  tables  of  Bidpai, 
the  Arabian  fables  of  the  Spanish  Jew;  Petrus  Alphonsus,  ancient 
chronicles  now  lost,  and  the  decadent  classical  authors,  were  all 
drawn  upon  largely;  but  the  various  Mss.  differ  considerably  as 
to  their  contents.  The  history  is  false,  the  characters  are 
fictitious,  and  the  title  - the  Acts  of  the  Romans  - purely  grat- 
uitous; it  is  a miscellaney  of  oriental  romance  and  apologue, 
beast  fables,  classical  tales,  miracle  stories,  legends  of  the 
virgin,  costumed  in  the  external  features  mediaeval  li?e.  All 
the  stories  are  allegorized  or  otherwise  interpreted  in  a moral- 
izing way,  often  v/ith  the  most  absurd  results.  It  is  important 
in  literary  history  as  a storehouse  whence  Italian,  French,  and 

Dunlop,  J.C.;  History  of  Prose  Fiction  (1911),  pp.lo2 ,163-9  ,246 . 

p 

I have  not  seen  a copy  of  this  work. 


•it 


j 


17 


English  writers,  poets,  novelists,  and  playwrights  obtained  many 
of  their  plots.” 

Many  authors  have  found  inspiration  in  the  Gesta,  and  there  are  con- 

9-re  s 

stant  allusions  to  it.  Theresa  few  outstanding  features  of  this  collection; 

one  of  which  is  its  large  number  of  stories  which  are  remarkable  for  brevity. 

There  are  only  six  stories  which  are  over  two  thousand  words  in  length,  and 

only  one  over  10,000  words.  Obviously  it  is  impossible,  here,  to  treat 

exhaustively  so  stupendous  a work,  but  I shall  summarize  the  plots  and  attempt 

an  analysis  of  the  construction  of  a few  of  the  one  hundred  and  eighty-one 

narratives  which  the  Gesta  contains. 

No. XI,  Of  the  Poison  of  Sin,  is  the  story  of  Alexander.  It  is  only 
220  words  in  length,  excluding  the  applicatio a or  moral  applied  at  the  close 
in  a separate  paragraph.  (These  applications  are  always  given, each  one 
beginning  "My  beloved",---)  The  story  proper,  verbatim,  is  this:- 

"Alexander  was  a prince  of  great  power,  and  a disciple  of 
Aristotle,  who  instructed  him  in  every  branch  of  polite  learning. 

The  Queen  of  the  North,  having  heard  of  his  proficiency, 
nourished  her  daughter  from  the  cradle  upon  a certain  kind  of 
deadly  poison,  and,  when  she  grew  up,  she  was  sc  beautiful 
that  the  sight  of  her  alone  affected  many  with  madness.  The 
queen  3©nt  her  to  Alexander  to  espouse.  He  had  no  sooner 
beheld  her  than  he  became  violently  enamoured,  and  with  much 
eagerness  desired  to  possess  her;  but  Aristotle  observing  his 
weakness,  said;*  Do  not  touch  her,  for  if  you  do  you  will 
certainly  perish.  She  has  been  nurtured  upon  the  most  dileter- 
ious  food,  which  I will  prove  to  you  immediately.  Here  is  a 
malefactor  who  is  already  condemned  to  death.  He  shall  be 
united  to  her  and  you  shall  soon  see  the  truth  of  what  I 
advance.'  Accordingly  the  culprit  was  brought  without  delay 
to  the  girl,  and  scarcely  had  he  touched  her  lips,  before  his 
whole  frame  was  impregnated  with  poison,  and  he  expired  in 
the  greatest  agony.  Alexander,  glad  at  his  escape  from  such 
imminent  destruction,  bestowed  all  thanks  on  his  instructor, 
and  returned  the  girl  to  her  mother,"l 

The  application  for  this  story  XI  is  l8o  words  in  length. 

Even  within  the  small  compass  of  220  words,  the  writer  of  the  story 


^For  sources  of  this  story  see  Gesta  Romanorum,  ed.E.A.Baker  (1905^1 
p.38l,  note  7» 


18. 


has  managed  to  present  five  characters,  - Alexander,  the  Queen  of  the  North, 
Aristotle,  the  daughter  of  the  Queen,  and  the  condemned  slave.  He  has  given 
conversation,  as  a touch  of  the  spirit  of  dialogue,  in  Aristotle's  warning. 

There  is  a climax,  and  a single  situation.  These  requisites  of  the  short-story 
art  are  present  in  embryo,  but  the  narrative  is  too  limited  in  conpass  to  admit 
of  any  real  characterization,  or  to  suggest  a short-story  "atmosphere".  Perhaps 
the  compression  of  material  is  the  most  remarkable  phase  of  this  fiction 
technique . 

NO.  XV,  Of  the  Life  of  Alexius,  son  of  the  Senator  Eufemian.  is  longer  — 
3080  words.  It  is  the  legend  of  the  man  who  is  persuaded  that  he  loves  a 
lady,  marries  her  , and  on  the  evening  of  their  wedding  day  deserts  her  for  a 
life  of  poverty  and  "self-sacrifice".  Because  of  his  humility  he  is  wonderfully 
loved  of  God  and  becomes  a saint,  though  he  has  neglected  his  wife  and  parents 
for  seventeen  years,  and,  having  returned  disguised  and  ill,  remains  unknown 
to  them  until  they  read  a message  which  he  has  prepared  to  be  read  when  he  is 
gone.1 

On  the  whole,  Alexius  is  a fairly  unified  plot.  It  is  brief  enough 
in  the  telling,  and  there  is  a discernible  atmosphere  of  sad  dutifulness . The 
reader  is  at  once  disgusted  with  the  ascetic  and  pitiful  toward  his  blindness. 

Much  could  be  done  with  the  web  of  this  plot,  to  delineate  character  and 
increase  the  tenseness  of  the  situation;  — here  a man  who  thinks  he  is 
sacrificing  himself  is  really  turning  his  back  on  his  real  duty  for  an  imagined, 
fanatic  one. 

NO.  XLI,  Of  the  conquests  and  charity  of  our  Lord,  is  another  brief 
story,  — 175  words.  The  story  itself  is  almost  as  brief  as  any  summary  I can 
devise,  therefore  I quote  the  narrative  verbatim: 

Robert  L.  Stevenson's  "Will"  in  his  story  of  The  Parson's  Mar  .lory  came  to  my 
mind  in  connection  with  the  philosophy  of  Alexius.  


•ii 


■ 


;■ 


19. 


"Cosdras,  king  of  the  Athenians,  having  declared  war 
against  the  Dorians,  assembled  an  army,  and  despatched  messengers 
to  the  Oracle  of  Apollo  to  ascertain  the  fortune  of  the  engagement. 
The  god  answered  that  the  party  whose  chief  fell  by  the  sword  of 
the  enemy  should  win  the  field.  The  Dorians,  also,  understanding 
the  response  of  the  oracle,  strictly  enjoined  their  soldiers  to 
spare  the  life  of  Cosdras;  but  the  king,  disguising  himself  in 
the  habit  of  a slave,  cut  his  way  into  the  heart  of  the  hostile 
army.  The  enemy,  perceiving  the  extreme  audacity  of  a single 
man  armed  only  with  a sabre  yet  fighting  valiantly  and  effectively 
in  the  very  midst  of  them,  turned  all  their  attack  upon  the 
warrior,  and  with  some  difficulty  slew  him.  Thus  by  a remarkable 
effort  of  patriotism  he  enabled  his  country  to  triumph  over  its 
enemies;  and  at  his  death,  on  one  side  so  fatal  in  its  conse- 
quences, was  bewailed  not  less  by  the  adverse  host,  than  by  his 
own  subjects.” 


The  title,  it  will  be  noticed,  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  substance 
of  the  story  proper;  it  refers  to  the  "application”  as  in  most  instances 
the  titles  do.*  (Alexius  is  an  exception.)  Here  we  have  another  web  for 
a short-story  plot.  The  character  of  king  Cosdras  could  be  drawn  more  fully, 
as  is  the  character  of  Nathan  in  "Mithridanes  and  Nathan”  in  Painter’s 
Palace  of  Pleasure.2  This  narrative  in  the  (testa  Romano  rum  has  unity  of 
plot,  unity  of  effect,  just  one  chief  character,  one  situation  and  two 
incidents,—  the  inquiry  at  the  oracle  and  the  death  of  the  generous  king. 

The  extreme  brevity  of  the  story  can  only  hint  at  the  "effect"  or  "atmosphere” 
which  might  be  developed  from  this  plot . 

No.  LXIII,  Of  the  Pleasures  of  this  world,  may  be  called  an  approach 
to  the  short-story.  Briefly  the  plot  is  this:  Aglois,  the  daughter  of 

Vespasian,  is  to  marry  whoever  returns  safely  to  the  Emperor  to  demand  her  hand 
in  marriage,  after  he  has  spent  four  days  in  a garden  prepared  by  the  Emperor. 
So  far  no  one  has  ever  succeeded,  for  no  one  has  thought  to  seek  first  the 
lady’s  personal  favor  before  entering  the  garden.  One  day  a knight  asks 

*Cosdras'  death  is  parallelled  to  that  of  Christ:  "So  did  Christ  put  on 
mortality,  and  by  his  death  triumphed  over  our  demoniacal  foes."  — Baker,  E.A., 
Gesta  Romano rum  (1905),  p.  140.  « 

^Novel  13. 


20. 


her  aid.  By  means  of  the  advice  of  his  "Lady  of  Comfort"  this  knight  over- 
comes a lion,  winds  his  way  out  of  a labyrinth  by  following  a thread,  and 
marries  Aglois.* 

Here  are  three  principal  characters:  the  Emperor,  his  daughter,  and 
the  knight;  — the  last  makes  the  greater  appeal  because  he  proves  himself 
different  from  his  companions  in  the  rivalry  for  the  hand  of  the  Emperor's 
daughter.  There  is  one  situation,  unity  of  plot,  brevity,  singleness  of 
effect,  but  the  climax  is  weakly  presented  in  the  Gesta.  and  the  narrative 
is  too  brief  to  allow  of  a good  delineation  of  character.  Much  might  be 
done  to  endear  to  the  reader  the  personality  of  the  knight  who  wished  to 
really  win  the  lady's  heart  for  himself,  through  his  personality,  rather  than 
by  means  of  a contest  or  wager.  (One  is  reminded  of  Portia's  lover  Bassanio.) 
Likewise  much  could  be  done  to  acquaint  us  with  the  "Lady  of  Comfort"  — for 
she  reminds  one  of  Portia. 

No.  LIX,  Of  too  much  Pride,  consists  of  one  situation  portrayed 
through  four  closely  related  incidents,  has  one  chief  character  and  two  minor 
characters,  and  possesses  a tangible  effect  or  atmosphere.  Emperor  Jovinian 
of  Home  impiously  boasts  of  his  power  and  is  punished  for  his  pride.  A man 
who  resembles  him  in  appearance  usurps  Jovinian' a power  while  the  Emperor  is 
bathing,  leaving  him  naked,  to  be  mocked  by  his  subjects.  The  people  fail 
to  recognize  the  real  ruler  until  Jovinian  is  sufficiently  humbled  and  has 
confessed  his  impiety  to  the  priest.  There  is  a prevailing  tone  of  futility 
and  sadness  while  the  Emperor  is  scoffed  at  and  scorned  because  he  claims  to 
be  the  ruler;  even  his  body  guard  fail  to  know  their  master.  We  are  sorry 
for  the  humbled  man.  Every  one  of  his  subjects  thinks  the  usurper  is  the 

^Compare  the  story  of  the  minotour  and  the  clue  furnished  by  Ariadne  to  her 
lover . 


*1 


, '■ 


21. 


rightful  ruler,  and  no  one  honors  the  Emperor's  claims;  he  is  thought  to  be 
an  impostor,  or  an  insane  person.  As  a man,  without  his  royal  insignia  he 
is  absolutely  powerless;  even  the  Empress  denies  her  husband;  the  old  man's 
favorite  dog  flies  at  his  throat.  Of  too  much  pride  is  a very  good  attempt 
in  the  direction  of  the  proper  technique  for  a short-story. 

No . CXXV,  Of  Conscience  is  the  story  of  the  Rape  of  Lucrece.  which  has 
been  treated  by  so  many  writers  since  the  Gesta.  Here  it  is  very  concisely 
told,  and,  strangely  enough,  eith  more  delicacy  than  is  found  in  later  versions 
of  this  tragedy.  All  of  the  elements  of  a short-story  are  in  this  story,  but 
the  extreme  brevity  precludes  the  development  of  the  short-story  atmosphere. 

This  criticism  is  also  true  of  No.  CVIII,  Of  constancy  in  adhering  to  promises, 
which  is  the  plot  of  Damon  and  Pithias,  of  classical  fame,  transferred  to  the 
lives  of  two  thieves.  Mr.  Baker  suggests  that  from  this  story  may  have  arisen 
the  proverbial  saying  of  "honor  among  thieves."1 

No.  CIX,  Of  the  Avaricious  pursuit  of  Riches,  which  leads  to  Hell, 
i 8 the  story  of  a carpenter,  who  was  to  determine  whether  his  host  should  return 
to  him  his  lost  gold,  by  a test  of  choosing  between  three  kinds  of  cakes. 

The  carpenter  was  unaware  that  he  was  being  "weighed  in  the  balance."  Mr.  Baker 
traces  the  story  through  the  Decameron.  Gower's  Confessio  Amantls.  Cento  Novelle 
Antlche.  novel  LXV,  Joannes  Damascenus  fable  of  Barlaam  and  Josophat.  back  to 
the  Greek  of  800.  He  also  suggests  that  Barlaam* s fable  is  the  original  source 
for  the  Casket  episode  in  Shakespeare's  Merchant  of  Venice. 

There  is  a little  more  of  character  drawing  in  story  number  CIX  than 
in  the  shorter  stories.  (This  one  is  510  words  in  length.)  Some  conversation 
Is  introduced,  yet  there  is  less  of  unity  of  effect  than  in  Alexius,  XLI,  LXIII, 
or  CVIII. 

^Gesta  Romano rum,  ed.  E. A. Baker  (1905),  note  15,  p.  424. 


• 


* 


. : 


■ 


. . 


1 


22. 

No.  LXIX,  Of  Chastity,  is  a theme  which  we  shall  meet  again;  the 
emperor  Callus  married  his  daughter  to  a carpenter,  giving  his  son-in-law  a 
shirt  which  was  to  remain  spotless  as  long  as  he  and  hie  wife  are  faithful 
to  each  other.  Three  soldiers,  learning  of  the  gift, seek  to  seduce  the  wife, 
but  she  outwits  them,  locking  them  in  a chamber  with  bread  and  water  for  food. 
There  is  less  of  character  and  more  of  incident  stressed  in  this  narrative. 
Otherwise  the  same  criticisms  hold  ture  as  for  the  previous  stories. 

A further  detailed  treatment  of  more  of  the  stories  from  the  Gesta 
is  unnecessary,  yet  there  are  a few  which  must  be  mentioned  because  of  their 
interest  as  literary  potentialities,  or  in  some  cases  because  of  their  very 
curiousness.  No.  LXXXIX,  Of  the  triple  state  of  the  World,  introduces  the 
theme  of  the  bequeathing  of  three  rings.1  No.  CIV  has  for  its  source  Aesop’s 
fables.  It  is  the  story  of  a knight  who  removes  a thorn  from  a lion's  foot 

and  in  reward  is  befriended  by  the  lion.  No.  CXXXVII,  Of  Christ's  Clemency. 

2 

is  a version  of  the  Coriolanua  story.  No.  V,  Of  Fidelity,  expresses  the 

2 

sentiment  that  she  who  has  deceived  her  father  will  deceive  her  husband.1' 

No.  VII,  Of  the  envy  of  bad  men  toward  the  Good,  is  a prodigal  son  story.  No.CX, 
Of  the  Recall  of  Sinners,  tells  of  a knight  named  Placidus  who  lived  during  the 
reign  of  Trajan.  He  was  commander- in-chief  of  the  Emperor's  armies.  He  exper- 
iences humiliations  and  losses  similar  to  those  of  Job,  and  at  last  his  wife  and 
sons  are  restored  to  him.  The  technique  is  that  of  the  novelette.  No.  CLIII, 

Of  temporal  tribulation,  is  the  story  of  Appolonius  of  Tyre.  This  narrative, 
also,i8  a novelette. 

Compare  Decameron,  first  day,  novel  3;  Canto  Novella  Antlche.  Novel  71; 
Swift’s  Tale  of  a Tub:  Lessing’s  Nathan  the  Wise. 

2 

See  Shakespeare’s  play  of  the  year  1610. 

3 

See  Shakespeare's  Othello.  Act  I,  Sc.iii. 


. 


23. 


Two  of  the  stories  may  be  classified  as  narratives  approaching  the 
novelette,  — XIII  and  XX.  Each  contains  a large  number  of  incidents  and 
a rather  complicated  plot.  The  remainder  of  the  Gesta  Romano rum  consists  of 
tales  and  anecdotes. 

Following  the  1510-15  Qesta  Romano  ruin  there  appeared  a series  of 
"life  histories"  — really  fictions  — of  varied  lengths.*  Some  of  these 
come  within  the  limits  we  have  set  for  the  short-story  and  for  that  reason 
are  of  interest,  although  in  other  points  they  have  little  to  do  with  the 
technique  of  the  short-story. 


1 

In  1510  a long  fiction,  King  Appolyn  of  Thyre.  printed  by  W^rnken  de  Worde 
from  the  Greek  legend,  was  published.  It  will  be  recalled  that  a Latin  version 
forms  the  CLUJ  story  story  in  the  Gesta  Romanorum  (cf.  Dunlop,  J.  C.,  History 
of  Prose  Fiction,  1911,  p.  85,  note  1).  A more  ancient  and  a better  text  is 
in  a manuscript  in  the  library  of  the  Abbey  of  St.  Ulrich  and  St.  Afra  at 
Augsburg.  Gower  tells  this  story  with  very  little  alteration  in  his  Confessio 
Amanti8  (1383-1384).  The  English  translation  is  21,000  words  in  length;  in 
technique  it  more  nearly  resembles  the  novel. 

Helyae  . Knight  of  the  Swanne  (cl512),  is  over  35,000  words  and  partakes 
more  of  the  nature  of  a novel  than  of  any  other  literary  form.  (Cf . Thoms, 
W.J.,  Early  English  Prose  Romances.  1907,  pp.  693-784.)  Helyae 
contains  incidents  of  mag  and  emphasizes  adventurous  incident. 

Source:  Chronicle  of  Tongues,  by  the  Maitre  de  Guise.  (It  is  incorporated 
in  the  German  romance  of  Lohengrin.)  Cf.  Baker,  E.  A.,  Guide  to  the  Best 
Fiction  in  English  (1913),  pp.  5-6;  also  Century  Cyclopedia  of  Names, 

"Knight  of  the  Swan." 

Friar  Bacon  (cl53Q),  is  20,800  words  in  length.  It  is  the  story  of 
the  Franciscan  Friar  whose  clear  study  of  nature  gave  him  fame  as  a magician 
in  the  stories  of  the  people.  Like  Vi r villus  it  is  a narrative  of  magic  and 
consists  of  a chain  of  unplotted  incidents.  Cf.  Thoms,  W.  S.,  pp.  23-27. 

Guy  of  Warwick  (cl530-70)  is  a translation  from  the  French  of  1525. 

The  story  had  appeared  in  metrical  romances  in  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth 
centuries.  In  the  English  prose  version  it  is  over  35,000  words,  and 
emphasizes  the  love  story.  Its  bombastic  style  would  indicate  that  the  date 
should  be  given  as  1570  rather  than  1530.  (Cf.  Thoms,  W.  J.,  p.  329  and 
Jusserand,  J.J.,  A Literary  History  of  the  English  People.  1909,  p.  224,  foot- 
note.) The  historical  element  of  the  story  is  founded  upon  events  occurring 
before  the  Norman  Conquest. 


• ■-» 


. 

, 


24. 


In  1510  we  find  the  narrative  of  Robert  the  Devil  (19,800  words),  a 
supposed  "history"  of  Robert,  whose  mother  gave  him  to  the  devil  in  conception. 
The  oldest  known  version  is  a Latin  one  by  Etienne  de  Bourbon,  a Dominican 
Friar  who  died  in  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  century.  The  English  transla- 
tion is  a "rogue  story,"  full  of  incidents  of  cruelty  and  lust.  The  point 
of  emphasis  is  not  character,  but  incident.  It  is  too  complicated  to  be  called 
a tale  and  yet  not  sufficiently  unified  to  be  called  a novelette.  In  no  way 
does  it  resemble  a short-story. 

Virgilius  (cl518),  a narrative  of  13,200  words,  is  an  Italian  story, 
translated,  without  date,  by  John  Doesborcke  of  Antwerp.  Esdaile  gives  the 
date  (1518?).  The  title  runs  thus;  "This  boke  treath  of  the  life  of  Virgilius 
and  of  his  deth  and  many  merwayles  that  he  dyd  in  his  life  tyme  by  Wythcrafte 
and  nygramcy  through  the  helpe  of  the  devyls  of  hell.  I.  Doesborcke;  Anworpe."* 

Virgilius  is  merely  a tale.  It  has  no  unity  of  plot.  Purporting  to 
be  a history  of  real  character,  it  is  doubtless  based  upon  fact,  but  ideas  of 
magic  and  a love  of  citing  adventure  have  distorted  any  semblance  of  "history" 
in  the  narrative.  Virgilius  is  not  a man;  he  is  presented  as  a magician  who 
always  prevails  over  the  great  difficulties  which  he  meets. 

Still  another  fictitious  biography  is  that  of  George-a-Greene 
(cl530),  which  contains  19,500  words.  In  verity  it  is  a chain  of  fictitious 
episodes  woven  around  the  life  of  a homespun  hero,  George-a-Greene,  who 
meets  with  Robin  Hood  and  his  companions.  The  story,  indeed,  has  very  much 

Cf.  Dunlop,  J.C.,  History  of  Prose  Fiction  (1911),  p.  431.  "It  has  been 
doubted  whether  the  sorcerer  Virgilius  was  the  same  with  the  Roman  poet;  but 
it  appears  from  the  authors  of  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries,  that 
such  at  least  was  the  prevailing  opinion  of  the  dark  ages ."  The  text  I have 
used  is  Mr . E.  A.  Baker's  1907  edition  of  Thoms,  first  published  in  1858. 


* 


. 

. 


25. 


the  spirit  of  the  Robin  Hood  legends. 

Robin  Hood  (ol530-70)  is  "a  reduction  into  prose  of  ballads  from  the 
common  garlands,  most  of  which  appear  in  Ritaon's  collection.  It  forms  the 
only  prose  history  of  Robin  Hood.  It  is  full  of  anachronisms;  the  period  is 
supposed  to  be  that  of  Henry  VIII  instead  of  the  early  Angerin  period  (cll60- 
99)  .nl 


The  Goodll  History  of  Lucres 

2 

In  1560  there  appeared  an  English  translation  from  the  Italian 

romance  De  Duobus  Amantlbus  by  Aeneas  Silvius  Piccolomini.  The  title  of 

this  story  differs  in  the  several  editions;  those  between  1550-60  seem  to  have 

been  sometimes  Eurlalus  and  Lucres:^  sometimes  The  Goodll  History  of  Lucres: 

and  the  1708  edition,  which  is  the  only  text  available  to  me,  is  entitled 

5 

The  History  of  the  Amours  of  Count  Schlick. 

The  book  was  published  by  James  Woodward,  in  London,  1711,  but  the 
title  page  of  the  story  (pages  are  renumbered  for  each  story,  and  this  one 
consists  of  the  last  sixty-three  pages  in  the  book)  gives  the  date  of  translation 


*Cf.  Baker,  E.  A.,  Guide  to  the  Best  Fiction  in  English  (1913).  Also 
Jusserand,  J.  J.,  op.  cit.,  p.  224,  footnote. 

o 

Cf.  Savage,  Howard,  The  Beginnings  of  Italian  Influence  in  English  Prose 
Fiction,  in  Modern  Language  Association  Publications  (New  Series),  March,  1917, 

p.  2. 

3 Ibid,  p.  5. 

^Jusserand,  J.J.,  The  English  Novel  in  the  Time  of  Shakespeare  (1890), 
p.  85,  footnote. 

5 

"The  Memoirs  of  the  Court  of  Scotland,  or  the  History  of  the  Earl  of 
Douglas,  with  the  Secret  History  of  Mackbeth,  King  of  Scotland,  by  the  author 
of  The  Ladies  Travels  into  Spain,  the  Memoirs  of  the  Court  of  England,  and  the 
Memoirs  of  the  Earl  of  Warwick.  To  which  is  added  the  Art  of  Love,  or  the 
Amours  of  Count  Schlick,  Chancellor  to  the  Emperor,  with  a young  court  Lady; 
Written  in  Latin  by  Pope  Pius  the  II." 


. 


4i 


26. 


as  1708.  Since  the  findings  of  Mr.  Howard  Savage,  in  the  Modern  Language 
Association  Publication  before  mentioned,  would  indicate  that  the  1560  edition 
doe9  not  differ  materially  from  the  story  in  the  edition  I have,  I believe  it 
is  safe  to  judge  somewhat  of  The  Goodli  History  of  Lucres  from  the  later  edition. 
However,  I note  that  the  1708  rendering  follows  the  Latin  story's  conclusion 
and  does  not  picture  Euralius  as  pining,  mourning  until  his  death.1 

Mr.  Savage  has  given  a very  satisfactory  synopsis  of  the  plot  of 
The  Goodli  History,  therefore  I shall  omit  a repetition  of  the  substance  of  the 
narrative  in  detail.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  it  is  a story  of  the  unwise 
passion  of  a lady  of  Sienne  for  a follower  of  the  Emperor  Sigismund,  which 
Picoolomini  claimed  to  have  written  at  the  request  of  a friend.  It  is  an 
account  of  the  letters  and  intrigues  of  these  two  lovers,  their  secret  love- 
meetings,  their  final  separation,  and  the  death  of  Lucres  through  grief. 

The  sympathy  of  the  writer  with  the  lovers  reminds  one  of  Painter's 
Amadour  and  Florinda.  Lucres'  husband  is  only  mentioned  in  the  light  of  an 
intruder  who  frustrates  the  plans  of  the  lovers  and  is  welcomed  to  his  wife's 
bosom  only  through  fear;  he  keeps  his  house  a9  a jailer.  (On  the  other  hand, 
the  author  says:  "He  only  is  not  deceived  whom  his  wife  has  not  yet  endeavored 
to  deceive,"  indicating  that  women  are  wily  and  men  too  stupid.)2 

The  plot  of  The  Goodli  History  is  all  that  is  requisite,  technically, 
for  the  short-story.  It  is  handled  in  a realistic  manner;  the  climax  and  con- 
elusion  seem  quite  possible,  even  probable,  except  the  account  of  the  close  of 


Cf.  Jusserand,  J.  J.,  The  English  Novel  in  the  Time  of  Shakespeare,  p.  84, 
and  footnote. 

2I  am  prone  to  think  the  railing  against  women  is  one  of  the  conceits  of  a 
later  date,  though  I may  be  mistaken.  (Mr.  Savage's  synopsis  does  not  attempt  to 
characterize  the  husband,  Menelaus.)  There  are  other  conceits,  some  clearly  as 
Euphulstlc  as  Pettie,in  this  1708  version;  e.g.,  p.15  which  presents  "animal 

8iraiJ$U  .Savage  has  carefully  traced  the  historical  background  of  this  narrative. 


27. 


Eurialus'  life  in  mourning  — there  the  English  author  changed  the  lines  of 
Piccolamini ' s story  and  chose  an  ending  "in  direct  contradiction  to  the 
realism  of  the  novella."  Although  Eurialus  apparently  had  some  youthful 
escapades  to  his  discredit,  he  evidently  was  greatly  attached  to  Lucres  and 
strove  to  keep  her  reputation  above  her  desert.  The  author  has  drawn  a 
Launcelot  rather  than  a rogue.  Likewise  Lucres  is  drawn  with  some  virtues, 
though  her  sin  is  great;  she  is  not  a common  courtezan,  nor  a Countess  of 
Celant.*  One  could  not  forgive  her  infidelity,  her  tricks,  and  her  false- 
hoods, but  one  might  wish  that  she  had  first  known  and  married  Eurialus, 
instead  of  Menelaus.  Only  Menelaus  is  a type;  the  other  characters,  including 
the  servants  Sosias  and  Dromo2  are  individuals. 

If  we  add,  to  well  organized  plot,  and  realistic  character- drawing, 
a sense  of  situation,  and  a careful  portrayal  of  details  and  episodes  to 
give  a unity  of  impression,  it  will  be  evident  that  The  Goodli  History  is  a 
remarkable  short-story  for  so  early  a date  in  the  development  of  fiction: 


"The  exactness  with  which  the  location  of  Menelaus' s house 
is  fixed  with  relation  to  the  court  and  the  lodgings  of  Eurialus; 
the  Emperor's  jest;  Sosias'  unusual  declaration  of  Lucretia's 
love;  the  incident  of  the  and  Euralius's  first  letter;  his 

ignorance  of  Italian;  his  nervousness  and  his  inability  to  enjoy 
his  stay  when  at  last  left  alone  with  his  lady;  the  ingenuity  of 
Pacorus;  the  conventional  picture  of  Sienese  life  in  winter,;  the 
saving  of  Euralius  in  the  stable  from  the  pitch  fork  of  Dromo; 
the  covetousness  of  Paudalus  as  a motive  for  his  betrayal  of  his 
cousin's  honor  — these  are  but  a few  of  the  means  whereby  Aenias 
strove  to  gain  verisimilitude.  Nor  is  the  character  of  Sigismund 
forgotten;  if  he  had  met  Eurialus  as  a porter,  he  would  have  made 
his  servant  the  most  miserable  man  in  Siena."3 


The  story-teller  mentions  Lucres'  bastard  brother;  the  inference  is  that 
he  is  her  mother's  son.  Evidently  there  were  untoward  influences  in  Lucres' 
heritage.  Cf.  page  28,  Memoirs  of  Scotland.  1711. 

^Mr.  Savage  says  of  Dromo:  "He  is  essentially  an  English  figure  with  his 
racy  complaining  and  his  oaths."  Cf.  page  17,  Modern  Lang.  Assn.  Pub.,  March, 
1917. 

3 Ibid,  p.  12. 


. 


28. 


The  Goodll  History  of  Lucres  is  undeniably  well  told;  technically  it 
is  of  vast  importance  in  a study  of  the  novel  and  the  short-story  forms;  but 
as  one  critic  has  said,  "it  is  rather  a warm  story  to  be  written  by  a man  who 
was  later  to  become  pope,"  and  one  wonders  whether  it  ever  should  have  been 
written  at  all. 

Following  the  story  of  Eurialus  and  Lucres  the  period  1560-1565 
seems  to  contain  no  short  narratives  except  in  jest  books.  There  are  a few 
long  fictions,  some  two  or  more  volumes  in  length.* 

A summary  of  the  progress  of  narrative  writing  during  the  sixteenth 
century,  and  a review  of  the  development  of  that  narrative  toward  the  short- 
story  brings  us  these  results: 

(1)  There  were  many  anonymous  writings  and  translations. 

(2)  Fictions  became  longer  and  were  crude  in  construction,  exhibiting  a 
tendency  to  include  all  sorts  of  material  within  the  compass  of  a single 


The  following  table  indicates  the  prose  of  this  period; 

1531-  Sir  Thos.  Elyot's  "Titus  and  Guissipus"  (The  Boke  of  the 
Governour) 

cl534-  Lord  Berner's  transl.  "History  of  Arthur  of  Little  Britaine" 
cl534-  Lord  Berner's  transl.  "Hecon  of  Bordeaux" 

1551-  Sir  Thos.  More's  "Utopia"  (written  1516) 

1556-  "Aurelis  and  Isabella" 

1557-  Sir  Thos.  North's  transl.  Guerara's  "Dial  of  Princes" 

1563-  Foxe's  "Book  of  Martyrs" 

1565-  Golding's  "Caesar's  Commentaries" 

Jest  Books 

1535-  "A  Merry  Tale,  Witty  Questions  and  Quick  Answers" 

1557-  "Sackful  of  News" 

1559-63  "Howleglas" 

1561-  Owdley's  "Fraternitie  of  Vagabondes" 

1565-6  "The  Jests  of  Scoggin" 


. 


. 


29. 


narrative.  They  were  coarse  in  substance.  The  "amorous"  story  was  increasing 
in  popularity.  There  was  no  pretense  of  moral  purpose  in  the  writing  of  fiction. 

(3)  George-a-Greene  and  Robin  Hood  were  the  only  native  English  stories; 
these  were  less  inclined  toward  coarseness  than  the  borrowed  plots,  and 
attained  some  effect  of  realistic  character-drawing. 

(4)  The  only  approaches  to  the  short-story  were  found  in  the  Gesta 
Romano rum,  which,  though  printed  in  1510-15,  really  belongs  to  the  fifteenth 
century  (1400).  Except  in  the  Gesta  and  The  Goodli  History  of  Lucres  there  was 
no  attempt  to  produce  a unified  narrative.  Fictions  became  longer  and  longer, 
having  no  recognition  for  the  requirements  of  plot . Whatever  of  unity  was 
attained  was  secured  because  one  chief  character  was  treated  in  each  narrative. 
The  unplotted  incidents  usually  followed  chronological  order.  The  success  which 
was  gained  in  the  Gesta  appears  to  have  been  unconsciously  reached  and  to  be  the 
result  of  the  didactic  purpose  of  the  author.  Nevertheless  there  was  a sporadic 
appearance  of  unity  of  impression,  effective  climax,  and  simplicity  of  plot  , 
which  from  the  use  which  later  writers  made  of  it,  seems  finally  to  have  had 

its  results  in  the  development  of  narrative.  Among  the  best  of  these  narratives 
the  chief  hindrance  to  perfect  technique  is  their  extreme  brevity.  Brevity,  when 
properly  employed,  is  one  of  the  most  requisite  qualities  of  the  short-story 
type.  The  stories  in  the  Gesta  resemble,  figuratively,  topical  outlines,  which 
though  nearly  perfect  as  such,  are  in  need  of  amplification  in  order  to  become 
pleasing  literary  works. 

(5)  The  best  narrative  technique  attained  within  this  portion  of  the  six- 
teenth century,  from  1500  to  1565,  is  found  in  the  translation  of  Piccolomini 's 
De  Duobus  Amantlbua.  entitled  in  English,  in  1560,  The  Goodli  History  of  Lucres 
This  is  a really  good  piece  of  workmanship  on  the  part  of  Piccolomini*,  the 
characterization  gained  under  the  pen  of  the  translator,  but  the  English 
story's  changed  conclusion  was  unfortunate. 


. 


. 


. - - t 


30. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  DEVELOPMENT  OE  THE  SHORT-STORY  IN  1566-79. 

At  this  point  in  our  study  of  sixteenth  century  narrative,  a 
division  of  the  mass  of  material  to  he  considered  is  most  convenient,  since 
in  the  year  1566,  with  the  publication  of  William  Painter’s  huge  Palace  of 
Pleasure  we  meet  a decided  change  in  English  narrative . In  the  year  1580 
lyly’s  Eupheus  brings  another  marked  influence.  Therefore  my  third  chapter 
will  best  be  concerned  only  with  narratives  written  between  1566  and  1579. 

Since  Painter  told  in  several  of  his  stories  that  another 
narrative  concerning  some  of  his  characters  would  further  enlighten  his 
readers  with  regard  to  the  incidents  he  related  and  evidently  Painter  did 
not  conceive  his  stories  in  the  order  in  which  they  are  published,*  their 
order  in  the  volumes  reveals  little  about  his  development  in  narrative  writing. 
Consequently,  studying  the  stories  in  the  exact  order  of  their  presentation 
would  be  of  little  value,  except  to  convey  to  ray  readers  the  impression  of 
heterogeneousness  which  one  feels  in  turning  from  one  of  Painter’s  novels  to 
the  next  and  there  encountering  such  a great  diversity  in  narrative  form. 

In  the  previous  chapter  we  left  English  short  prose  fiction  in  a 
decadent  condition;  both  structural  art  and  nobility  of  substance  had  been 
neglected.  There  had  been  a promising  note  in  the  Gesta  Romano  rum,  a flourish 
of  popular  tales,  and  finally  a turning  to  the  writing  of  jest  books,  long, 
poorly  organized  fictions  borrowed  from  the  French  metrical  romances,  and  long 

*It  is  interesting  that  in  Tome  I Painter  placed  all  of  his  selections, 
from  each  source  in  one  group,  while  in  Tome  II  he  arranged  them  rather 
according  to  theme. 


. 


31  . 


prose  works.  It  was  evident  that  the  English  "brief  narrative  was  in  need  of 

new  material  and  a new  spirit  in  technique . 

Let  us  see  what  William  Painter  attempted.  His  title  page  says  that 
his  work  is  a "Palace  of  Pleasure  Beautified,  adorned  and  well  furnished  with 
pleasaunt  Histories  and  excellent  Nouvelles,  selected  out  of  divers  good  and 
commendable  Authors  ...  By  William  Painter  Clarke  of  the  Ordinaunce  and 
Armarie ." 

Painter  followed  this  with  a lengthy  dedication,  1800  words,  to  "the 
General  of  the  Queenes  Maiesties  Ordinaunce"  in  which  he  protested  that  he 
wished  above  all  things  not  to  be  considered  guilty  of  ingratitude  toward  this 
general  who  had  favored  him,  and  therefore,  to  express  his  appreciation,  he 
would  translate  "that  excellent  Historiographer  Titus  Livius"  and  . . . 
thereunto  join  "many  other,  gathered  out  of  Boccatio,  Bandello,  Sir  Giovanni, 
Straparole,  and  other  Italian  and  French  Authours." 

There  are  other  remarks  in  this  preface  which  throw  considerable  light 
upon  Painter* 8 miscellaneous  collection  of  subjects  for  his  stories. 


"In  these  histories  (which  by  another  terme  I call  nouvelles) 
be  described  the  lives,  ge3tes,  conquests,  and  highe  enterprises 
of  great  Princes,  wherein  also  be  not  forgotten  the  cruel  act  and 
tiranny  of  some.  In  these  be  set  forth  the  great  valiance  of 
noble  Gentlemen,  the  terrible  combate3  of  courageous  personages, 
the  vertuous  mindes  of  noble  Dames,  the  chaste  hartes  of  constant 
Ladyes,  the  wonderful  patience  of  puissant  Princes,  the  mild 
sufferance  of  well-disposed  gentlewomen,  and  in  divers,  the 
quiet  bearing  of  adverse  Fortune.  In  these  Histories  be 
depainted  in  livelye  colours,  the  ugly  shapes  of  insolencye 
and  pride,  the  deforme  figures  of  incontinencie  and  rape, 
the  cruel  aspectes  of  spoyle,  breach  of  order,  treason,  ill 
luck  and  overthrow  of  states  and  other  persons.  Wherein  also 
be  Intermixed,  pleasaunte  discourses,  merle  talke,  sportinge 
practices,  deceitful  devices,  and  nipping  tauntes,  to  exhilarate 
your  honor's  minde.  And  although  by  the  first  face  and  view, 
some  of  these  may  seem  to  entreat  of  unlawful  Love,  and  the  foule 
practices  of  the  same,  yet  being  thoroughly  reade  and  well  con- 
sidered, both  old  and  yonge  may  learne  how  to  avoyde  the  ruine, 
overthrowe,  inconvenience  and  displeasure  that  lascivious  desire 


. 


■-  . 


. 


14 


32. 


and  wanton  evil  doth  bring  to  their  staters  and  pursuers."1 


Through  many  sentences  in  his  dedicatory  preface  Painter  informed  his 
hearers  that  he  intended  to  write  of  people  of  "nobilitie." 

Both  because  of  his  statement  that  his  novelle9  are  histories, 
and  his  reference  to  his  work  as  "a  Theatre  of  the  world,  and  stage  of  human 
misery,"  realism  might  be  expected  of  Painter's  Palace . 

The  moral  advice  in  the  prefaces  of  Painter's  work,  which  stated  that 
he  expected  his  readers  to  receive  through  "good  examples  of  what  to  avoids," 
causes  one  to  wonder  whether  Painter  followed  his  predecessors,  U3ing  the 
exempla  form,  or  whether  he  trusted  to  the  strength  of  his  narrative  to 
produce  the  desired  influence. 

Turning  the  page,  we  find  another  preface  "To  the  Reader."  Herein 

Painter  recommended  his  book  for  all  classes  of  readers,  pointing  out  what 

would  assist  each  to  overcome  his  sins,  griefs,  or  while  away  his  lonely  hours. 

Almost  it  reads  like  a patent  medicine  circular.  The  Palace  was  to  cure  every 

one  of  any thing . It  is  equally  as  long  a preface  as  the  first  one  to  the 

2 

General  of  the  Ordinance. 


^Painter,  William,  Palace  of  Pleasure  (1566),  p.  5. 

o 

There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  weight  of  influence  of  an  author's  pur- 
poses upon  his  writing.  This  influence  is  felt  in  any  type  of  literature, 
but  especially  in  the  short-story,  in  which  so  much  must  be  accomplished  within 
a short  space.  Authorities  upon  the  modern  short-story  form  are  insistent  in 
emphasizing  the  strength  of  purpose  in  technique.  Notestein  and  Dunn, 

The  Modern  Short-story,  pp.  74-75;  Bliss  Perry,  A Study  of  Prose  Fiction, 
pp.  303-4;  Jessup  and  Canby,  The  Book  of  the  Short-story,  pp.  8-10;  Clayton 
Hamilton,  A Manual  of  the  Art  of  Fiction,  pp.  189-190;  Evelyn  May  Albright, 

The  Short  Story,  p.  28.  Beyond  that,  in  studying  the  work  of  a century  like 
the  sixteenth,  in  which  prefaces  and  statements  of  purpose  by  the  authors, — 
and  sometimes  virtual  apologies  for  authorship, — are  met  with  everywhere, 
we  are  under  necessity  of  inquiring  into  an  author's  literary  intentions  and 
pretentions. 


Wf- 


• ,* 

. 


33. 


We  will  turn  now  to  the  stories  themselves,  observing  (l)  whether 
Painter's  expressed  purposes  in  writing  the  Palace  were  sincerely  carried  out, 
(2)  whether  he  was  influenced  by  additional,  unexpressed  purposes,  and  (3) 
whether  he  was  successful  in  writing  short  prose  fiction  that  may  be 
classified  as  short-stories,  or  approaches  to  the  short-story  form.  As  a 
result  we  shall  also  learn  (4)  what  types  of  narrative  Painter  developed 
within  his  one  hundred  and  one  novel s . 

From  the  prefaces  we  see  that  Painter  stated  three  purposes:  (l)  to 

entertain,  (2)  to  teach  and  reform,  (3)  to  picture  life  — give  a "theatre 
of  the  world."  What  did  he  do?^ 

The  Desire  to  Entertain. 

There  is  no  disputing  that  Painter  did  seek  to  entertain, — 

especially  by  means  of  the  strange,  coincidence,  and  by  a splendid  pageant 

of  royal  personages.  He  said  much  of  rank  and  title,  of  high  houses,  and 
2 

high  degree.  Divine  power  he  granted  to  some  characters,  — they  were 

3 

sainted,  having  virtues  beyond  human  development.  In  many  of  the  stories 
he  showed  a desire  to  bring  out  in  detail  gruesome  and  revolting  scenes,  e.g. 

A C S 

A Strange  Punishment  of  Adultery.  Tancredl.  Irene,  the  Fair  Greek. 

*In  the  Preface  to  the  Reader,  at  the  opening  of  Tome  II  and  at  the 
close  of  Tome  II  Painter  presented  no  new  material  either  in  the  way  of  any 
new  -purpose  or  any  new  plan  for  presentation  of  his  themes.  His  earlier 
work  had  been  appreciated,  therefore  he  intended  to  continue  in  the  same 
view,  "by  God's  assistance." 

2Cf.  Of  a Gentleman  that  died  of  Love,  novel  60 
Of  Rolandlne  the  Chaste,  novel  62. 

*%ovel  60,  conclusion. 

4Novel  57. 

^ovel  39. 

®Novel  40. 


■ ■ 


■ 


34. 


Painter  advertised  his  literary  wares  quite  as  boldly  as  does  the  motion 
picture  house  of  today  — his  brief  summaries  take  the  place  of  the  brightly 
colored  bill-board,  exhibiting  the  most  sensational  incidents  of  the  story. 
Undoubtedly  Painter  sought  to  entertain.* 

Painter's  anxiety  to  entertain  his  readers  with  the  wonderful,  the 
miraculous,  the  famous  men  of  old,  led  him  to  incorporate  in  his  translations 
the  exaggerated  descriptions  of  beauty,  size,  and  strength.  At  times  he 
added  more  exaggerations.  His  diction  likewise  was  stuffed  with  alliterative 
adjectives,  to  heighten  the  effect  of  importance  of  these  details.  In  describ- 
ing his  heroes,  he  was  very  fond  of  saying  that  ’’nature  seemed  to  have  dispoyled 
herself  of  riches  to  enhance  his  beauty,”  and  the  heroine  was  "so  beautiful 
that  there  was  no  one  in  the  entire  kingdom,  comparable  unto  her."  This 
description  he  applied  indiscriminately  to  lords,  ladies,  peasants,  or  ser- 
vants. (While  Painter  much  preferred  to  write  of  the  "nobilitie,"  he  fre- 
quently told  of  a duchess  or  a lady  of  high  standing  who  became  enamored  of 
her  man  servant,  or  a lord  who  became  fascinated  by  a slave  girl,  etc.  His 
characters,  however,  were  usually  the  English  nobility  and  their  servants,  or 
else  the  Italian  nobility  and  their  servants.)  Some  of  the  characters  Painter 
drew  from  Greek  or  Roman  history.  But  always  he  used  the  superlative: 
they  were  the  greatest,  bravest,  most  cruel,  most  wicked,  or  most  miserable  of 
human  creatures.^ 

The  desire  to  entertain  produced  in  the  stories  which  Painter  chose  for 
his  Palace  not  only  unreal  character-description  and  descriptive  setting,  (in 

*The  following  "novels"  are  not  supplied  with  the  usual  preface  or  synopsis: 
The  History  of  Papyrius  Pratextatus:  Of  Sutorius , a noble  Romaine 

Captalne:  A Prettie  Tale  Drawn  out  of  the  larke  of  Aesop: 

Of  the  Books  of  the  Sybilla. 

p 

One  needs  to  read  no  farther  than  the  opening  lines  or  the  synopsis  to  ob- 
tain this  spirit.  The  sources  which  Painter  used  are  in  most  cases  largely  re- 
sponslble  for  this  type  of  characterization,  especially  Boccaccio.  j 


■ 


j 


■ 


■ 


35. 


which  the  meagre  portrayal  of  place  is  almost  entirely  an  exaggeration  of 
measurement,  wealth,  or  historic  fame,  rather  than  word-pictures  of 
buildings,  cities,  and  landscapes),  but  it  also  produced  unreal  and  extremely 
verbose  soliloquy,  monologue,  and  oration  instead  of  brief,  natural  conversa- 
tion, e.g.  novel  seven. 

Another  quite  natural  result  of  the  wish  to  entertain  is  that  of  over- 
emphasis upon  incident,  because  of  which  Painter  produced  in  some  of  the  narra- 
tives a good  plot  structure  at  the  expense  of  all  other  elements  of  narrative, 
but  especially  short-story  technique.  In  other  instances  he  permitted  incident 
to  become  entirely  too  complicated,  and  there  resulted  a jumble  of  examples, 
comparisons,  and  digressions.  (The  fortunes  of  Painter*s  contemporary 
characters  reminded  him  of  those  of  the  great  heroes  of  history  and  he  needs 
must  stop  to  insert  a brief  historical  sketch.)  Sometimes  Painter  reminded 
his  readers,  in  the  midst  of  his  narrative,  that,  in  another  novel  which  he 
was  writing  or  had  written,  they  would  find  an  equally  interesting  circum- 
stance. He  even  foretold,  on  occasion,  the  latter  events  of  a story  very 
early  in  his  narrative,  giving  away  the  manner  in  which  his  story  was  to 
conclude.*  All  of  these  habits,  of  course,  very  largely  destroyed  unity, 
and  even  coherence;  but  especially,  such  practices  defeated  the  effect  of 
climax.  Very  frequently  emphasis  upon  a single  character,  incident,  or 

situation  was  entirely  lost,  and  with  it  any  opportunity  for  short-story 

2 

technique.  The  result,  one  may  easily  discern,  was  that  Painter  produced 
a large  number  of  ’’tales,"  — "the  sum  of  parts  unrelated";  a fewer  number 
of  novelettes,  when  he  used  a firmer  plot  structure,  reached  a climax,  and 

1 

For  exanple;  novel  62. 

2Clayton  Hamilton,  A Manual  of  the  Art  of  Fiction  (1918),  p.  177. 


• • 

ttni 


36. 


attained  some  -unity  or  sustained  dramatic  power,  but  included  too  much 
incident  for  a short-story  plot. 

Now  and  then  Painter  used  the  opposite  method;  instead  of  com- 
plicating his  incidents,  he  published  one  brief  event,  as  a jest  or  a fable, 
giving  it  place  as  a separate  novel 

2 

Although  Professor  Canby  finds  that  Painter  made  "few  digressions” 

I find  many  instances  wherein  he  punctuated  his  return  to  the  plot  with  "we 
again  turn  to  our  history,"  and  that  many  of  his  prose  fictions  fail  in 
narrative  strength  because  of  his  great  anxiety  to  include  everything. 

We  have  noted  the  effect  of  Painter's  efforts  to  entertain  in  their 
relation  to  unity  and  general  construction  of  narrative.  If  we  turn  again  to 
the  stories  to  see  wherein  he  failed  or  succeeded  in  realism,  we  shall  find 
this  sarsie  desire  to  entertain  had  its  effect  there. 

Although  everywhere  Painter  strove  for  credence,  insisting  upon  the 
establishment  of  eminent  and  indisputable  authority,  as  a foundation  for  belief 
in  his  stories,  he  attempted  to  make  his  readers  believe  things  highly  impossible 
when  he  translated  for  them  stories  in  which  he  found  character  highly  over- 

3 

drawn  — especially  vicious  character. 

Novel  27,  The  Lord  of  Ylrle>  recounts  that  "a  fayre  younge  wydow 
called  Zilia,  for  his  promise  made,  the  better  to  attaine  her  love,  was  con- 
tented to  remayne  dumbe  the  space  of  three  yeares.  and  by  what  meanes  he  was 
revenged,  and  obtayned  his  suite."  Another  instance  of  the  effect  of  the 
desire  to  entertain  by  the  marvelous, upon  realism,  is  shown  in  Painter's  selecticr 

^-See  table  at  the  close  of  this  chapter, — column  entitled  "miscellaneous" 
narratives . 

^A  Study  of  the  Short- Story  (1913),  pp.  15,  16. 

3 

Cf . Dldaco  and  Violenta:  the  murder  of  Didaco . 


* 


- 


* 


. 


' 


37. 

of  narratives  which  introduce  a necromancer,  who  accomplishes  all  kinds  of 
wonders  and  feats  of  magic.  These  magicians  were  omnipotent,  omniscient,  and 
omnipresent, — men,  yet  possessed  of  the  efficient  attributes  of  God;  and  at 
the  same  time,  aided  the  designs  of  evil  as  well  as  good  men  and  seemed 
equally  willing  to  assist  the  devil,  or  to  play  the  Divine.* 

When  we  take  into  consideration  the  fact  that  the  audience  which 
Painter  addressed  did  not  believe  deeds  of  necromancy  to  be  entirely  impossible, 
nor  even  highly  improbable,  and  that  Painter  chose  only  a few  stories  of 
necromancy,  his  idea  of  realism  cannot  on  that  score  be  greatly  discredited, 
although  today  we  find  him  difficult  to  believe. 

The  stories  of  wicked  characters,  although  they  contain  the 
exaggerations  of  his  sources,  are  largely  founded  upon  fact.  Bandello  is  con- 
ceded to  be  a realist,  accurately  picturing  the  Italy  of  his  day. 

MA  strange  and  marvelous  use"  is  explained  in  Painter's  translation 
of  A Gentlewoman  of  Hidrusa.  "where  it  was  lawful,  with  the  license  of  a 
magistrate  ordayned  for  that  purpose,  for  every  man  and  woman  that  list,  to 
kill  them  selves." 


*The  necromancer  in  The  Lady  of  Bo erne  assists  a jealous  husband  to  be  sure 
of  his  wife's  fidelity  in  his  absence.  This  is  accomplished  by  means  of  an 
image  of  a woman,  placed  in  a little  box,  which  like  a barometer  registers  the 
state  of  the  wife's  affections,  by  the  color  of  the  image. 

Painter  selected  another  story  of  necromancy  in  Mistress  Dianora.  This 
magician  was  hired  by  a licentious  lover  "to  make  a garden  so  faire  in  January 
as  in  the  month  of  May." 

A third  instance  occurs  in  Master  Thorello  and  Saladlne.  in  which  Painter 
presented  this  story:  "Saladine  in  the  habite  of  a marchaunt,  ms  honorably 

receyved  into  the  house  of  Master  Thorello,  who  went  over  the  Sea,  in  company  of 
the  Christians,  and  assigned  a term  of  his  wife  when  she  should  marry  agayne; 
he  was  taken  and  carried  to  the  souldan  to  be  his  Paulconer,  who  knowing  him, 
and  stiff ering  himself  to  be  knowen,  did  him  great  honour.  Master  Thorello  fell 
sicke,  and  by  magique  art  was  caried  in  a night  to  Pavle  where  he  found  his 
wyfe  about  to  marry  agayne,  who  knowinge  him  returned  home  with  him  to  his  own 
house/'  (Novel  20;  tome  ii) 


■ 


1 


38. 


Painter  is  certainly  incredible  when  he  tells  of  a daughter  of 
fane re dl . who  when  presented  with  the  "dead  harte"  of  her  slain  lover,  "many 
times  kissed  the  dead  harte,"  and  indulged  in  wise  speeches  concerning  her 
lover's  good  life.  An  Amazon  maid  would  have  broken  down  and  fainted  under 
such  torture.  But  Painter  was  desirous  of  telling  about  a very  brave  woman, 
and  found  such  a narrative  in  Boccaccio,  fitted  to  his  purpose,  and  perhaps 
his  contemporaries  believed  him.  An  even  more  terrible  and  much  longer  drawn 
out  suffering  was  endured  patiently  by  the  Lady  in  A Strange  Punishment  of 
Adultery . She  drank  from  the  skull  of  her  paramour  at  every  meal,  and  was  com- 
pelled by  her  husband  to  live  in  a room  where  she  daily  beheld  the  skeleton  of 
this  man.  Being  a wonderfully  patient  and  obedient  wife,  she  endured  all  cf 
that  and  remained  mentally  sound  and  physically  healthy,  even  while  eating  out 
her  heart  in  grief  because  of  her  severe  punishment.  (No  matter  how  ill  unto 
death  the  love-lorn  heroes  and  heroines,  which  Painter  chose  to  tell  about, 
might  become  physically,  they  never  are  mentally  unbalanced,  although  a few 
of  his  evil  characters  — villains  and  vampires  — become  mad  with  hatred. \ 

Even  among  Painter's  better  successes  in  narrative,  he  was  unable 

2 

to  get  away  from  the  superlative  treatment  of  his  characters.  He  did,  how- 
ever, now  and  again  choose  a character  which  is  more  realistic  — a man  sin- 
cerely giving  sage  advice  to  his  king,  and  finding  himself  unable  to  practise 
3 

his  own  preaching,  or  a Lady  Panthea,  with  the  suggestions  of  a shrewd  Portia, 

*Cf.  The  Countess  of  Celant.  novel  24,  Tome  ii;  The  Duchess  of  Malfl. 
novel  23,  Tome  ii  (note  the  inserted  incident  of  the  cruelty  of  the  Erie  of 
Monferatto,  p.  38);  Mahomet  and  Irene,  novel  40. 

p 

^Professor  Jacobs  remarks  in  his  "Introduction"  to  the  Palace . that  the 
Shakespearian  dramatists  borrowed  plot  from  abroad,  but  that  they  were  compelled 
to  draw  character  from  the  men  and  women  around  them.  If  Painter  could  have  done 
this,  the  "short-story"  might  have  been  much  different. 

3 

King  Cyrus  and  the  Lady  Panthea.  novel  11. 


39. 


and  a simple  Ruth.  It  is  frequently  true  that  Painter's  characters  did  not 
receive  this  rational  treatment  to  the  end  of  the  story.  Panthea  is  given  over 
to  the  heroics  of  his  other  virtuous  wives  at  the  very  close  of  the  narrative. 

Moral  Purpose. 

Was  Painter  sincere  in  his  professed  attempt  to  reform  and  teach  his 
readers  the  proper  conduct  of  life?  What  effect  has  his  moral  purpose  upon 
his  choice  of  characters? 

Painter's  Palace  of  Pleasure  opened  a new  era  in  the  history  of  short 

prose.  It  will  be  remembered  that  heretofore  the  Italian  influence  in  English 

prose  had  only  been  occasional.  With  Painter's  collection  of  one  hundred  and 

one  short  fictions  or  novels  as  he  calls  them,  translated  from  Latin,  Italian, 

and  French  writers  (principally  Boccaccio,  Bandello,  Marguerite  of  Navarre, 

Giovanni,  and  Straparola)*  a new  zest  entered  the  technique  of  English  prose. 

No  such  lively  narrative  had  been  ahsorbed  before  the  Palace  of  Pleasure . Many 

of  the  "novels"  of  Painter's  collection  merit  detailed  study. 

It  is  a matter  of  common  knowledge  that  the  stories  of  the  Italian 

Renaissance  are  as  a whole  rather  questionable  in  their  moral  influence. 

Professor  Jacobs,  in  the  introductory  chapter  of  his  Palace  of  Pleasure  makes 

an  able  defense  of  Painter's  selections  from  the  material  offered  to  him  in  the 

2 

works  of  Boccaccio,  Bandello,  and  Marguerite  of  Navarre: 

^Jacobs,  Joseph,  Palace  of  Pleasure  (1890),  Introduction,  p.  27. 

p 

Jacobs,  Joseph,  Palace  of  Pleasure  (1890),  pp.  xiv-xviii. 


• 'c 

* 


40. 


"The  whole  literature  of  the  novella  ha3  the  attraction 
of  graceful  naughtiness  in  which  vice,  as  Burke  put  it,  loses 
half  its  evil  by  losing  all  its  grossness.  At  all  times,  and 
for  all  ages,  probably,  similar  tales,  more  broad  than  long, 
will  form  favorite  talk  or  reading  for  adolescent  males.  . . 

However,  we  are  not  much  concerned  with  the  tales  of  this 
class  on  the  present  occasion.  Very  few  of  the  novel le 
selected  by  Painter  for  translation  depend  for  their  attraction 
on  mere  naughtiness.  In  matters  of  sex  the  sublime  and  the 
ridiculous  are  more  than  usually  close  neighbors.  It  is  the 
tragic  side  of  such  relations  that  attracted  Painter,  and  it 
was  this  fact  that  gave  his  book  importance  for  the  history 
of  English  literature,  both  in  its  connection  with  Italian 
letters  and  in  its  own  internal  development."1 

It  does  seem  strange  that  if  Painter  was  searching  for  material  for 

stories  which  would  edify  the  youth  of  England,  he  should  decide  to  translate 

narratives  from  the  Decameron.  Neither  Boccaccio,  nor  Ser  Giovanni,  another 

source  of  Painter's,  in  their  prefaces  make  any  pretence  of  greater  or  more 

serious  purpose  than  "to  let  fall  some  sparkling  ray  of  refreshing  light  and 

consolation  upon  him  who  may  be  in  that  mood,  which  in  time  gone  by  has 

weighed  on  me”  — Giovanni's  stories  were  to  consist  of  the  tales  told  by 

two  lovers  — "the  amorous  conversation  which  they  held  with  one  another 

in  order  to  mitigate  the  burning  flams  of  love  which  consumed  them."  However, 

it  is  to  be  noted  that  Painter  did  not  choose  the  coarsest  stories  of 

Boccaccio  nor  yet  those  which  the  Italian  writer  said  called  forth  the  laughter 

of  the  group  of  his  story-tellers.  (There  is,  nevertheless,  as  Professor 

Baldwin  says^ "a  spirit  of  the  Decameron  in  Painter.")  The  Palace  does  not 

o 

include  some  of  the  most  sensual  stories  of  Bandello  and  Ser  Giovanni.'' 

William  Painter  was  either  insincere,  or  extremely  naive  in  hoping 
to  bring  so  much  good  out  of  the  recital  of  narratives  which  would  serve 


1Ibid,  p.  xviii. 

G.  Waters,  in  his  Terminal  Essay,  p.  viii  in  the  Proem  of  his  transla- 
tion of  Sfcr  Giovanni  defends  Giovanni  in  comparison  with  Boccaccio . 


. 

' 

■ 


■ 

. 

■ 


* 


41 


to  stimulate  the  curiosity  and  cultivate  the  imagination  of  the  youth  of  any 
century.1 

Fortunately  few  of  Painter’s  novels  attempt  to  appeal  through  mere 
vulgarity.  The  rogue  story  type  of  narrative  with  its  attendant  coarseness, 
finds  a place  in  only  a few  instances.  Sensuality  is  a much  more  common 

3 

appeal . 


His  stories  of  the  decadent  Homan  Empire  tell  of  the  erection  of  monuments, 
and  the  establishment  of  temple  worship,  to  honor  the  memory  or  the  most 
vicious  women.  (Three  Amorous  Dames,  novel  13,  Tome  ii) 

Men  of  high  estate  are  pictured  as  "the  easiest  prey  to  vice,"  and  there- 
fore great  men  like  Alexander,  Cyrus,  Demosthenes,  etc.  are  "wonderfully  to  be 
admired"  if  they  are  furnished  with  moral  character,  or  any  degree  of  self- 
control.  Vice  is  the  common  thing,  the  expected  thing.  (Three  Amorous  Dames, 
novel  13,  Tome  ii;  Of  Lois  and  Demosthenes,  novel  15,  Tome  i;  Alexander  the 
Great,  novel  2,  Tome  ii) 

The  king  and  queen  in  The  Lady  of  Boeme  allow  two  brothers,  noblemen  of 
their  court,  to  go  to  a third  gentleman's  home  for  the  purpose  of  proving 
their  boast  that  they  can  seduce  his  wife.  Throughout  this  story  there  is 
a low  moral  tone,  a winking  at  vice,  in  spite  of  Painter's  avowed  purpose  to 
exalt  the  chastity  of  the  Lady  of  Boeme. 

An  honest  and  continually  faithful  love  Painter  called  marvelous,  and  of 
the  sixty-one  "amorous"  plots  which  are  contained  in  the  Palace . the  large 
majority  concern  adultery, rape,  and  illicit  love.  Painter  hastened  to  remind 
his  readers  that  they  must  not  tire  of  discourses  of  love,  since  God  compared 
the  idol  worshippers  of  the  Bible  to  unfaithful  wives.  Did  he  feel  that 
censure  was  merited? 

Love,  almost  without  exception,  is  engendered  by  the  wonderful  beauty  of 
the  woman  or  the  man.  It  is  increased,  in  some  instances,  by  the  friendship 
which  proves  the  object  of  the  lover's  fancy  to  be  worthy,  but  beauty  is 
always  the  first  cause.  Love  is  a cruel  mistress  who  drives  her  victims  nearly 
frantic,  frequently  bringing  them  to  illness  and  near  to  death,  or  it  is  a 
"blind  and  naked  god"  — Cupid,  who  is  rather  spiteful  in  the  use  of  his  arrows, 
and  much  sympathy  is  expressed  for  every  man  who  "suffered  the  pags  of  love" 

though  he  loved  a married  woman  and  attempted  to  seduce  her.  (On  the  other 
hand,  a woman's  dishonest  love  is  strongly  condemned.) 

2 

Andruacclo.  novel  36. 

3 

Of  a Gentlewoman  of  Pampelunae.  novel  56;  Of  a Gentleman  that  died  of  love, 
novel  60;  Mistress  Katherine  of  Bologna,  novel  19;  Andruecclo.  novel  36; 

The  Love  of  Antiochus  with  Faire  Stratonica.  novel  27;  A Plurality  of  Husbands. 
Hovel  29;  Marriage  of  Widow  and  Widower,  novel  29;  The  King  of  Naples,  novel  51; 
The  King  of  England's  Daughter, novel  34;  A Gentlewoman  of  Pampelunae.  novel  56. 


, 

. 

• r 

■&L ' 

, * : * v 


> 


42. 


At  times  Painter  seemed  to  contradict  himself  in  his  own  expressed 
purposes.  He  called  several  of  his  stories  "moral  discourses,"1  yet  within  the 
same  story  he  "described  minutely  the  lives  of  good  and  evil  persons,  of  both 
sexes,"  in  order  that  "everyone  might  delight  their  well-disposed  minds."2 
Another  instance  of  seeming  inconsistency  occurs  in  his  praising  deeds  which 
should  have  been  condemned;  even  according  to  his  own  code  as  expressed  in  other 
narratives,  they  could  not  be  approved.3 

Whether  or  not  Painter  hoped  to  reform  or  instruct  his  readers,  he 
certainly  preached.  Sometimes  he  placed  the  sermon  first  and  the  story 
followed  as  a mere  illustration;  sometimes  he  gave  the  story  briefly  in  synopsis, 
with  the  lesson  baldly  stated,  then  wrote  his  story  in  detail,  at  the  close 
commenting  upon  the  virtuous  characters.  We  are  surprised  to  find  that  although 
Painter  pointed  to  his  heroes  and  heroines  as  worthy  of  imitation,  and  warned 
against  the  evil  examples  he  present^,  still  there  is  an  influence  of  the  Greek 
Romances  in  many  of  the  narratives,  and  although  the  characters  make  prayer 
■unto  one  God,  and  Catholic  services  are  mentioned,  yet  "Dame  Fortune  turns  her 
wheel,"  and  luck  and  fate  seem  rather  to  control.  Men  and  women  are  not  able  to 
influence  their  destiny  or  to  resist  temptation  — the  spite  of  unseen  powers 
casts  them  into  despair. 

These  contradictions  are  necessarily  the  cause  of  a lack  of  unity  of 
tone  in  many  of  the  short  prose  fictions  in  the  Palace  of  Pleasure. 

1Novel  13,  opening  sentence. 

p 

The  Countess  of  Celant,  novel  24,  tome  ii. 

^He  praises  the  stoutness  of  heart  of  Tlmoclla  of  Thebes  for  her  cruel  re- 
venge upon  her  betrayer:  she  tricked  him  into  a cave,  where  she  stoned  him  to 
death . 

The  falsehood  of  an  army  officer  is  praised  because  "it  worked."  Painter 
admired  this  strategy  of  lying  in  Sertorlus.  He  does  not  treat  Sertorius  in  a 
jesting  manner,  which  would  better  fit  it  than  a moralizing  one. 


; ■ 

■ 

■ 


43. 


The  Short  Stories. 


Are  there  any  good  examples  of  the  short-story  in  Painter's  Palace 
of  Pleasure? 

In  spite  of  many  failures  and  half-successes,  there  are  a few 
narratives  among  Painter's  one  hundred  and  one  short  fictions  which  are  rather 
good  short-stories.  Professor  Canby,  in  his  Book  of  the  Short- Story,  summarizes 
the  importance  of  the  translated  novella  thus: 

"A  love  intrigue  supplies  the  plot  of  most  of  these 
stories.  They  are  simply  written,  with  few  digressions,  few 
flourishes,  and  little  or  no  originality  on  the  part  of  the 
translator.  Personality  finds  little  place  in  them,  for  it 
was  the  plot,  and  not  the  characters  which  interested  their 
writers,  and  yet  they  savor  of  real  life,  especially  the 
tales  from  France  and  Italy,  and  are  full  of  potentiality. 

In  England  these  foreign  tales  were  the  first  successful 
short  stories  in  prose:  they  were  the  first  successful 
transcript  into  literature  of  the  men  and  women  of  the 
new  epoch."1 

The  examples  of  good  short-story  methods  which  I find  in  Painter  are 
four  in  number:  (l)  The  Love  of  Antiochus  with  Faire  Stratonica.  (2)  King 

Cyrus  and  the  Lady  Panthea,  (3)  Amadour  and  Florinda.  (4)  Mithrldanes  and 
Nathan.2 


XPp.  15-16. 

2 

Some  authorities  upon  the  short-story  are  more  exacting  than  others,  in 
regard  to  the  demands  which  they  make  upon  the  short- story  form.  The  majority, 
however,  are  agreed  that  while  a great  amount  of  freedom  is  to  be  allowed, 
there  are  a few  very  essential  attributes  which  go  to  make  up  a successful  short- 
story.  [Poe,  The  Philosophy  of  Composition:  Essay  on  Hawthorne's  Tales: 

Brander  Matthews,  The  Philosophy  of  the  Short- story:  Notestein  and  Dunn,  The 
Modern  Short-Story  (1914),  pp.  12-13;  Albright,  The  Short  Story  ( , p.84; 

Baldwin,  American  Short-Stories  (1912),  pp.  16  ff.;  Bliss  Perry,  A Study  of 
Prose  Fiction  (1902),  pp.  304, 322 ; Canby , A Study  of  the  Short-story  (1913 ) , 
p.  It,  Jessup,  The  Book  of  the  Short- stories  (l903),  pp . 23-26,  Introduction;  and 
Hamilton  (1918),  PP*  178-180,  unite  in  ajbelief  that  unity  of  impression  is  the 
chief  essential  of  short-story  technique 7] 

Unity  of  plot,  characterization,  and  descriptive  setting  may  be  managed  at 
the  pleasure  of  the  writer,  if  as  a result  he  produces  a story  which  contains 


l 


■ 

' 


44. 


Antiochus 

and 

Stratonlca 


A strange  story  indeed  is  The  Love  of  Antiochus  with  F&ire  Stratonica 
in  which  Painter  related  how  Seluccus,  a king  of  Asia,  learning  through  his 
physician  that  his  son  was  dying  for  love  of  the  queen,  his  mother- in- lav/,  sur- 
rendered his  wife  and  his  kingdom  to  his  son. 

There  are  four  principal  characters,  — the  queen,  king, 
son,  and  physician.  The  last  three  named  are  more  carefully 
drawn  than  many  persons  in  other  stories  by  Painter.  The 
queen  in  comparison  with  the  male  characters  is  a mere  figurehead;  she  has  no 
individuality  but  is  just  a beautiful  woman  who  is  easily  persuaded  to  take  the 
younger  man  for  her  husband,  in  place  of  a less  attractive  mate. 

The  plot  of  this  story  is  unified,  with  a well  presented  climax: 

The  physician  feigns  at  first  that  it  is  his  own  wife  with  whom  Antiochus  is  so 
infatuated;  then  when  the  king  pleads  that  the  doctor  give  his  wife  to  his  son, 
he  is  confronted  with  the  truth. 


unity  of  tone,  a distinct  emotional  impression,  and  sustained  emphasis. 

"Sustained  emphasis  upon  a single  character,  climactic  incident,  or  situation" 
(as  set  forth  in  the  definition  for  the  short-story,  in  chapter  one,  page  nine,  of 
this  discussion)  makes  compression  of  narrative  necessary.  The  word  limit  of 
20,000  is  of  course  only  adopted  for  convenience,  because  the  majority  of  narra- 
tives which  extend  beyond  that  limit  are  apt  to  be  more  complicated  in  plot  than 
the  short-story.  ^JBliss  ?erry»  A Study  of  Prose  Fiction  (1S02),  p.  302;  Clayton 
Hamilton,  A Manual  of  the  Art  of  Fiction  (1918),  p.  181, "Stories  That  Are  Not 
Brief";  Evelyn  May  Albright,  The  Short-Story  (1509),  p.  57] 

If  the  emphasis  is  to  be  placed  upon  character,  unique  characters  are 
necessary.  Only  in  the  case  of  the  story  in  which  descriptive  setting  is  stressed 
in  producing  the  tone  of  the  narrative  is  the  matter  of  choice  of  characters  un- 
important. (Clayton  Hamilton,  p.  183;  Albright,  p.  5;  Notestein  and  Dum,  p.  136) 
Neither  Painter,  nor  any  other  writer  of  the  sixteenth  century  attempted  to  do  a 
great  deal  with  descriptive  setting,  in  short  prose.  If  climactic  incident  is  to 
be  emphasized  that  incident  mast  be  carefully  prepared  for:  if  situation,  that 
situation  must  not  be  ordinary. 

*Novel  27.  Source  = Plutarch’s  Demetrius,  probably  in  Anyot’s  translation. 


i . ' 


is  ; « . 

- 

. 


45. 


The  plot  itself  is  highly  unreal,  yet  it  is  vividly  narrated  with 
much  of  the  intensity  of  the  short-story  method.  It  was  a vivid  bit  of  clever- 
ness which  caused  Bandello  to  present  the  climax  step  by  step,  preparatory  to 
the  king’s  enlightenment . From  that  point  on  the  story  becomes  weak,  anti- 
climactic.1 

In  Antiochus  Painter  chose  a good  short-story,  in  which  the  author 
forgot  to  close  at  the  right  place  or  else  was  unable  to  uphold  the  tone  of 
his  narrative.  Some  of  the  incidents  Painter  might  have  lengthened  to  good 
advantage;  he  might  have  more  carefully  developed  the  queen's  personality, 
and  made  the  conversations  less  stiff. 

2 

King  Cyrus  and  the  Lady  Panthea  is  a story  of  devotion  and  friendship. 
The  plot  of  the  story  contains  these  incidents;  (1)  King  Cyrus  refuses  to  be 
persuaded  by  his  friend  Araspas,  to  visit  the  Lady  Panthea, 

King  Cyrus 

, taken  prisoner  by  the  armies  of  Cyrus.  (2)  Araspas  is  put 

and 

Panthea  in  charge  of  the  fair  prisoner  and  falls  in  love  with  her. 

The  lady  is  under  necessity  of  notifying  the  king  concerning 
his  friend's  suit.  (3)  Cyrus,  after  giving  him  a chance  to  win  Panthea's 
love  honestly,  sends  him  to  be  a spy  upon  an  arny,  with  permission  to  return 
only  when  he  has  learned  the  enemy's  secrets.  (4)  Cyrus  consents  to  allow 
the  fair  prisoner  to  send  for  her  husband  to  take  Arospas'  place  in  the  camp . 

(5)  When  the  husband  is  slain  in  battle,  Lady  Panthea  takes  her  own  life. 

^ould  a modern  author  conclude  this  story  with  the  father's  enlightenment 
as  Stockton  closes  his  The  Lady  or  the  Tiger?  Didactic  purpose  shows  strongly 
here. 

2 

„ Novel  11.  Source;  Probably  Bandello  lii-9;  though  Painter  cites 
Xenophon . 


, ", 


■ 


■ 

. 


46. 


The  three  leading  characters  are  more  strongly  delineated  than  is 
often  the  case  in  sixteenth  century  narrative;  each  one  is  individual.  Cyrus 
is  kind,  honest-hearted,  and  possesses  strong  moral  character,  and  will  power. 
Lady  Panthea  is  shrewd  and  self-reliant  and  pure.  Aras)>as  is  a man  of  strong 
statements  and  weak  will;  when  persuading  Cyrus  to  visit  the  faire  Lady 
Panthea,  he  maintained  stoutly  that  the  will  was  supreme  over  passion,  and 
then  forthwith  himself  fell  in  love. 

On  the  whole  King  Cyrus  is  a very  good  type  of  short- story  to  he 
attained  at  so  early  a date;  it  has  all  of  the  requisites  of  the  modern  short- 
story  in  a fair  degree.  The  tone  of  the  narrative  develops  through  the  sin- 
cerity of  the  character  of  Cyrus,  although  it  is  evident  from  reading 
Painter's  preface  and  concluding  lines^that  he  intended  to  emphasize  the 
character  and  beauty  of  Panthea. 

A modern  writer  would  succeed  in  obtaining  a better  focus  upon  one 
scene  in  the  narrative,  probably  emphasizing  the  willingness  of  Cyrus  to  allow 
Araspas  to  win  Lady  Panthea  if  he  could  do  so  by  fair  means.  This  scene  seams 
best  adapted  to  depict  the  unselfishness  and  tolerance  of  King  Cyrus,  through 
his  loyalty  to  his  friend."'  Painter  makes  the  suicide  of  Panthea  the  climax 
of  the  action.  Since  the  whole  situation  concerns  the  protection  of  Panthea 
in  the  camp  of  a foreign  king,  and  his  protection  ms  the  result  of  his  own 
moral  creed,  rather  than  reverence  for  her  husband  (note  that  Cyrus  permitted 
his  lieutenant  to  plead  his  love),  Panthea's  suicide  at  her  husband's  death 
does  not  seem  to  be  a logical  climax. 

*”Cyru8  erected  a monument  to  the  perpetual  praise  of  chastitie  and  honest 
love.”  P.  68,  vol.  I. 

^Compare  Bandello,  whose  narrative  does  not  contain  this  incident. 


...  ■». 


Painter  used  conversation  to  good  advantage  in  this  narrative . 
Modem  methods  of  paragraphing  would  greatly  increase  its  resemblance  to 
modem  short-stories. 

There  are  sixteen  lines  of  introduction  with  which  Painter  did  not 
in  any  way  enhance  the  value  of  the  story.  The  actual  beginning  of  the 
narrative  is  very  artistically  worked  out  by  conversation  between  two  of 
the  characters,  preparing  the  reader  for  the  introduction  of  the  leading 
lady  — Panthea. 

Novel  53,  entitled  Amadour  and  Florinda,  tells  the  story  of  the 

devotion  of  a sweet  young  woman,  Florinda,  to  a reckless  courtier,  Amadour, 

whom  she  found  to  be  unworthy.  Amadour  married  a woman  he 

did  not  love  in  order  to  be  near  Florinda,  who  married  in 

obedience  to  her  parents  and  because  there  was  no  hope  of 

marrying  the  man  she  loved.  Florinda  sought  happiness  in 

worshipping  Amadour  as  a god  of  virtue,  honestly  devoted  in  friendship  to  her. 

When  she  was  disillusioned  concerning  the  love  of  Amadour,  after  the  death  of 

her  husband,  she  went  into  a nunnery.*' 

The  evil  character  of  Amadour  is  strongly  contrasted  with  that  of 

the  pure-minded  girl,  who  portrays  such  even-tempered  devotion  and  simplicity 

in  her  attachment  that  one  is  apt  to  forget  for  the  moment  that  Florinda  is 

married  and  so  also  is  the  man  she  loves.  The  old  "courtly  love”  with  its 
eminent  dangers  is  so  foreign  to  modem  ideals  of  love,  and  of  marriage,  that 

only  when  we  forget  the  duty  of  husband  or  wife  to  their  vows,  do  we  find  our- 
^Source : The  Heptameron  of  the  Queen  of  Navarre.  10 . 


Amadour 

and 

Florinda 


ffci'.fj’aar  n**jb 


• * 


■..  i WBM  | 


48. 


selves  entirely  In  sympathy  with  the  lovers.  Painter  has  vividly  presented 
the  devotion  of  this  simple  girl,  unhappily  mated,  won  to  admiration  by  a 
lover,  who  though  unworthy  had  wooed  her  in  a gallant  fashion.  He  has  also 
achieved  remarkable  consistency  and  realism  in  the  characters  of  Amadour  and 
Florinda.  Perhaps  Painter  over-reached  the  mark  in  causing  Florinda  to  dis- 
figure her  face  in  order  that  her  beauty  might  not  continue  to  appeal  to 
Amadour.1  The  frustrated  love  of  these  two  determines  the  unity  of  impression 
in  this  rather  lengthy  story  of  14,345  words. 

Mithrldanes  and  Nathan  is  the  best  of  Painter's  short-stories  . It  is 
nearly  perfect  in  structure.  There  are  three  incidents,  and  two  outstanding 
characters, — Nathan  is  undeniably  the  chief.  There  is  unity  of  theme:  best 

expressed  in  the  lines  of  the  poet,  "the  mind  a kingdom  is." 

Mithrldanes 

The  tone  or  emotional  impression  is  fascinatingly  wrought  out 

and 

Nathan  through  the  calm  fortitude  and  generous  heart  of  Nathan.  This 

2 

tone  begins  to  be  felt  in  the  opening  sentences:  "Strange 

may  seeme  thys  following  Bystory,  and  rare  among  those,  in  whom  vertue  of 
liberality  never  flourished:  many  we  read  of  that  have  kept  noble  and  bountiful 
houses,  entertayninge  Guests,  both  Forrayne  and  free  borne,  plentifully 
Feastinge  them  with  the  variety  of  cheere,  but  to  entertayne  a guest  that 
aspyreth  the  death  of  his  hoost,  and  to  cherish  him  after  hee  knew  of  it,  or 
literally  to  offer  his  life,  seldorae  or  never  we  reade  or  by  experience  knowe, 
but  what  moved  the  conspirator  to  frowne  at  the  state  and  life  of  Nathan?  even 


The  Hep tamer on  is  not  available  to  me,  therefore  I do  not  know  whether 
Painter  or  the  "Queen  of  Navarre"  is  responsible  for  this  scene. 

%ere  Painter  achieved  a better  tone  in  introduction  than  did  Boccaccio; 
though  Painter  is  less  straightforward,  he  creates  a better  background. 


> 

■ 


i «> 


ft  , 

' 


i 


that  froward  pestilent  passion  Envy,  the  consumer  and  deadly  monster  of  all 
humanity:  who  iraitatinge  the  like  cost,  and  port  of  his  devout  hoast  Nathan, 
and  seeking  after  equal  glory  and  fame,  was  through  envie's  force  for  not 
attaininge  the  like,  driven  to  imagine  how  to  kill  a good  and  innocent  man: 
for  envy  commonly  wayteth  upon  the  vertuous,  even  as  the  shadow  doeth  the  body.” 
Nathan,  a rich  gentleman  in  Calaya  having  a noble  and  liberal  heart, 
desirous  by  experience  to  have  the  same  to  be  knowen,"  remodelled  his  Palace 
on  the  highway  where  travellers  from  the  East  and  West  passed,  and  became 
famous  for  his  hospitality.  "With  a great  trayne  of  servante3  he  welcomed 
and  accepted  such  as  journeyed  to  and  fro  ..."  It  chanced  that  his  fame 
flew  to  the  ears  of  a young  gentleman  called  Mithridanes,  who  lived  in  an 
adjacent  country.  Mithridana®  becaaie  envious,  so  that  to  hear  any  one  praise 
Nathan  made  him  very  angry;  an  old  beggar  woman  irritated  him  greatly  by  so 
doing.  When  Mithridanes  spoke  to  her  concerning  her  frequent  visits  for  alms, 
she  said,  "0  how  marvellous  is  the  liberality  of  Nathan,  whose  palace  hath 
twenty-four  entries  by  severall  gates,  so  great  as  this,  and  daily  begging 
almes  there,  never  made  semblance  as  though  he  knew  me,  and  yet  the  same  was  not 
denied  me:  and  being  come  thither  but  thirteen  times  I have  been  remarked  and 
reproved,"  and  "saying  so  she  went  her  way  and  never  came  thither  agayne." 

Finally  Mithridanes  determined  to  visit  Nathan  and  by  treachery  to 
slay  him.  He  did  not  recognize  Nathan,  who  met  him  at  the  gate.  Nathan  was 
very  humbly  apparelled.  While  they  were  presumably  waiting  for  admittance  to 
the  presence  of  Nathan,  the  jealous  visitor  revealed  his  evil  plan  to  his  host 
and  gained  from  him  advice  as  to  where  he  would  find  the  best  opportunity  to 
kill  Nathan. 

Upon  reaching  the  designated  grove  in  the  morning,  Mithridanes  found 
Nathan  himself  had  given  him  the  information  which  he  knew  his  visitor  meant  to 


• • 


t 


' >? 


* 


50. 


use  to  procure  his  death. 

"Catching  him  by  the  band  upon  his  head,"  Mithridanes  cried, 

"Old  churle,  thou  art  dead."  Whereupon,  Nathan  made  none  other  answer, 
but  said,  "I  have  deserved  it."  When  he  heard  his  voice  and  looked  upon  his 
face,  he  knew  by  and  by  that  it  was  "he  which  had  curtiously  received  him, 
familiarly  kept  him  company,  and  faithfully  had  given  him  counsel."  Thereupon 
Mithradanes,  overcome  with  shame  apologized  for  his  attempt,  making  excuses  for 
himself.  Nathan  assisted  him  in  his  self-defense  and  so  further  shamed  him. 

"Marvel  not,  Mithridanes,  of  mine  intent  and  purpose,  for  sithens 
I was  at  age  disposed  to  mine  owne  free  will,  and  determined  to  do  that 
which  thou  hast  gone  about  to  do,  never  any  came  to  me,  but  I have  contented 
them  (so  far  as  I was  able)  of  that  which  they  did  demand.  Thou  art  come 
hither  with  desire  to  have  my  life,  wherefore  seeing  that  thou  didst  crave, 

I forthwith  did  mean  to  give  it,  that  thou  alone  mightest  not  be  the  man  that 
should  depart  from  hence  without  atchieving  thy  request;  and  to  bring  to  pass 
that  thou  myghtest  have  the  same,  I gave  thee  the  best  counsel  I could,  as  well 
for  bereaving  of  my  life,  as  for  enjoyinge  of  thine  own:  and  therefore  I say 

to  thee  agayne,  and  pray  thee  for  to  take  it,  thereby  to  content  thyself  if 
thou  have  any  pleasure  therein:  for  I do  not  know  which  way  better  to  employ  it. 
I have  already  kept  it  four-score  years,  and  have  consumed  the  same  in 
pleasures  and  delights,  and  do  know  by  course  of  nature  in  other  men,  and 
generally  in  all  things,  that  long  it  cannot  rest  in  breathing  days:  wherefore 

I think  good  that  better  it  is  to  give  as  I have  dayly  done  and  deport  with  ray 
treasures,  than  to  keep  it  till  nature  carry  it  away  in  spite  of  my  very  teeth 

and  maugre  that  I have.  It  is  a little  gift  to  give;  one  hundred  years,  how 
muche  lease  is  it  than  to  give  six  or  eight  of  those  I have  to  live?  Take  it 
then  if  it  please  thee,  I will  beseech  thee;  for  never  yet  found  I man  that  did 


. 


. 


. 

. 


' 


■ 


51. 


desire  the  same,  nor  yet  do  know  when  I shall  find  sutch  one,  and  if  that 
thyself  didst  desire  it,  do  not  take  it:  and  if  it  do  chance  that  I do  find 
someone,  I know  full  well  that  so  much  the  longer  that  I do  keep  the  same  the 
less  esteemed  it  shall  "be,  and  therefore  before  the  same  he  vile,  of  little 
price,  take  it,  I beseech  thee." 

Then  Nathan  suggested  that  he  and  Mithridanes  change  places,  but 

Mithridanes,  fearing  "to  diminish  the  renoun"  of  Nathan,  refused. 

The  "liberal  hoast"  honored  him  many  days  in  his  palace;  "after  that 

he  had  let  him  well  to  know,  that  he  was  not  able  to  surpass  him  in  liberality," 

Nathan  gave  leave  to  return  home  with  his  company. 

Painter’s  style  in  this  narrative  is  calm  and  smooth-flowing. 

There  is  the  combined  effect  of  intense  interest  and  quiet  revelation  — a 

"once  upon  a time"  atmosphere.  This  style  is  valuable  as  an  additional  factor 

in  producing  the  impression  of  calmness  and  kindness,  which  is  the  keynote  of 

Nathan's  character,  and  the  striking  effect  of  the  plot.*  If  we  add  to  this  a 

modern  system  of  paragraphing  and  somewhat  more  of  descriptive  setting,  then 

2 

little  more  could  be  done  to  achieve  a "perfect"  short- story. 

In  Mithridanes  and  Nathan  Painter  presented  a unique  character  in 
Nathan,  and  placed  his  emphasis  upon  him.  This  story  was  well  chosen  also  for 
unique  situation  and  careful  preparation  for  climax:  a phase  of  technique 

3 

noticeably  absent  from  many  of  the  stories  from  which  he  chose.  Although 
the  narrative  is  very  brief  (2500  words),  it  does  not  seem  to  be  too  brief  or 
compressed  for  conveying  the  plot.  Painter  did  not  mar  Boccaccio's  story  in 
retelling  it,  but  rather  improved  upon  it  in  developing  hie  style.  Hie  narrative 

1Clayton  Hamilton,  A Manual  of  the  Art  of  Fiction  (1918),  p.  208.  "The  Two- 
fold Appeal  of  Language." 

2 

Ibid,  p.  104.  "Emotional  Harmony  of  Setting." 

3Cf.  Clayton  Hamilton,  op.cit.,  pp.  153-154,  "Enphasis  by  Suspense." 


, 

i 

a I* 


o 

i j ( 


* 


52. 


is  about  500  words  longer  than  Boccaccio's*  and  has  the  effect  of  being  less 

hurried  in  the  telling,  a characteristic  which  adds  to  the  successful  tone 

2 

of  this  particular  story. 


^Decameron,  third  novel  for  the  tenth  day . 

2A  Brief  Analysis  of  "Mithridanes  and  Nathan." 

A.  Introduction;  lines  1-25. 

I  Painter  gives  a summary  of  his  narrative,  giving  away  the 
"points"  of  his  story  unadvisedly,  yet  initiating  the  tone 
of  the  story  through  his  style  and  content  here . 

B.  Actual  Opening  of  the  Story;  lines  26-44. 

I Introduction  of  Chief  Character. 

Painter  introduces  his  chief  character,  Nathan,  at  the  same  time 
telling  the  first  incident  — the  building  of  Nathan's  wonderful 
palace  for  the  purpose  of  increased  hospitality  and  liberality. 

II  Beginning  of  Complication;  lines  45-52 

Mithridanes  hears  of  Nathan's  fame,  and  decides  to  obscure 
it  by  rival  hospitality,  but  his  entertainments  are  disorderly. 
Mithridanes'  character  thus  slyly  introduced  with  disapproval. 

Ill  Suspense  Produced  in  line  53 

Mithridanes  "in  a little  time  purchased  great  fame."  Mithridanes 
seems  to  be  succeeding  in  overshadowing  Nathan's  praise. 

IV  Second  Step  in  Complication;  lines  54-72 

A beggar  woman  asking  alms  repeatedly  at  Mithridanes'  palace 
is  reproved;  she  tells  him  of  Nathan's  greater  generosity. 
Mithridanes'  envy  is  stirred  again. 

V  First  Preparation  for  Climax;  lines  73-75 

"Verily  I labour  all  in  vaine,  if  I myself  do  not  seek  meanes 
to  rid  him  of  his  life,  sith  croked  age  is  not  disposed  to  dis- 
patch him,  I must  therefore  do  the  same  with  my  own  hands." 

VI  Second  Incident  in  Preparation  for  Climax;  lines  76-82 

Mithridanes  rides  with  a retinue  to  Nathan's  residence,  lodging 
his  men  secretly  in  the  town  to  wait  for  him. 

VII  Third  Incident  in  Preparation  for  Climax;  lines  83-93 

The  meeting  of  Mithridanes  and  Nathan;  Nathan  is  not  recognized. 


. 


‘ 


■ ■ ■■ 


53 


In  addition  to  the  four  full-fledged  short- stories  which  Painter 
wrote,  there  are  a few  other  narratives,  seventeen  in  number,  which  approach 


VIII  Further  Delineation  of  Nathan’s  Character;  lines  94-103 

IX  Fourth  Incident  in  Preparation  for  Climax;  lines  164-110 

Nathan  purposely  deceives  Mithridanes  concerning  hie  identity, 
giving  Mithridanes  an  opportunity  to  criticize  Nathan's 
reputation  if  he  so  desires* 

X  Fifth  Incident  in  Preparation  for  Climax;  lines  111-119 
Mithridanes  reveals  his  hatred  of  Nathan. 

XI  Sixth  Incident  Preparing  for  Climax:  lines  120-130 

Nathan  conceals  any  emotion  and  commends  the  plan  of  Mithridanes, 
offering  his  personal  assistance. 

XII  Seventh  Preparation  for  Climax:  lines  131-139 

Nathan  lays  a plot  to  endanger  his  own  life  . 

XIII  Eighth  Preparation  for  Climax;  lines  140-142 

Mithridanes  sends  word  to  his  men  to  meet  him  at  the  place  Nathan 
suggested  the  object  of  his  hatred  could  be  apprehended. 

XIV  Ninth  Incident  Preparing  for  Climax:  lines  143-145 

Nathan  carries  out  his  part  of  the  plan.  He  goes  alone  to  the 
appointed  place. 

C.  Climax;  lines  146-156 

I  Mithridanes  attempts  Nathan's  life.  He  recognizes  him  just  in  time 

D.  Beginning  of  Resolution;  lines  157-171 

I Mithridanes  is  overcome  with  shame.  He  offers  Nathan  his  own 
life  as  a forfeit. 

II  Second  Incident  in  Besolutlon;  lines  172-189 

Nathan  forgives  Mithridanes  liberally.  There  is  further 
character  delineation  here. 

Ill  Further  Delineation  of  Nathan's  Character;  lines  190-223 

Nathan  explains,  at  Mithridanes'  request,  his  lack  of  fear  of  death 

IV  Conclusion;  lines  224-248 

Nathan  will  not  let  Mithridanes  return  to  his  own  country  until 
he  has  completely  cured  him  of  envy  and  caused  him  to  acknowledge 
Nathan's  liberality  to  be  perfect.  (A  last  touch  to  Nathan’s 
character  — here  is  an  honest  pride  added  to  his  calm,  generosity, 
and  bravery.) 


• . ' 


bw 


* 


. 


54. 


the  short-story.  The  majority  of  these  possess  fairly  .veil  constructed 

plots,  but  fail  toattain  unity  of  impression,  originality  of  character,  or 

l 

sustained  emphasis  — perhaps  fail  in  all  except  simplicity  of  plot. 

Many  of  Painter's  narratives  fail  chiefly  because  of  their  extreme 
brevity.  For  example  Painter's  novel  30,  The  Three  Rings  or  Melchisedech 
the  Jew,  is  so  brief  (740  words)  that  it  more  nearly  resembles  an  anecdote 
than  a short-story;  it  is  rapidly  told  with  a pleasing  directness,  and  contains 
plot  enough  for  a short-story.  Painter  should  have  concentrated  emphasis  much 
more  upon  character  in  order  to  improve  the  effect  of  Boccaccio's  story,  but 
extreme  brevity  precludes  its  opportunity.  As  we  read  it  now,  it  is  simply 
the  skeleton  outline  of  a good  short-story.  (Lessing's  Nathan  Per  Welse 
showed  what  could  be  done  with  characterization  for  this  plot.) 


*Since  Painter  followed  Boccaccio's  Decameron  so  closely  as  almost  to  have 
given  an  exact  translation  of  his  story  in  the  second  tale  of  the  second  day, 
Professor  Baldwin  would  probably  classify  Rinaldo  of  Este  as  a short-story. 
(Charles  Sears  Baldwin,  American  Short- Stories.  1912,  Introduction,  pp.27,  28.) 

I have  classed  it  as  a tale,  for  it  seems  to  me  that  the  events  of  this  story 
are  loosely  flowing  adventure,  rather  than  a "self-consistent  whole.”  There  are 
some  differences  between  Boccaccio's  and  Painter's  stories:  Painter's  is  150 
words  shorter,  and  in  several  instances  lacks  the  "small  familiar  touch  making 
one  see";  the  "little  miracles  of  observation.”  Painter  chose  to  condense  the 
climax  — if  Rinaldo  of  Este  contains  a climax  — the  incident  in  which  the 
traveller's  journey  turns  from  the  perils  of  robbery  to  the  snares  of  an  evil 
woman.  Boccaccio  says  Rinaldo  was  "a  connoisseur  in  love-matters”;  Painter 
makes  him  the  victim  of  a designing  widow.  Boccaccio  says  that  "the”  mayde  knew 
well  how  to  please  her  mistress,”  Painter  makes  no  attempt  to  characterize  her. 

If,  as  in  Painter’s  Rinaldo  of  Este.  we  "suppose  the  eventB  shaped  the  de- 
stiny of  the  character,  but  were  not  themselves  directed  by  him,  the  hero  would 
then  be  little  more  than  the  passive  victim  of  circumstances,  and  the  story 
would  take  on  the  loose  vesture  of  flowing  adventure."  (Notestein  and  Dunn, 

The  Modern  Short- story.  1914,  p.  12.) 

Because  in  Painter's  Rinaldo  the  action  lacks  the  vitality  such  as  would  be 
provided  by  the  portrayal  of  a unique  character  struggling  with  a strange  situa- 
tion, and  the  entire  narrative  seems  not  to  possess  great  firmness  and  strength 
of  texture,  I do  not  consider  it  a short- story. 

2Saladine , the  of  Babylon,  desiring  to  borrow  from  Melchisedech  an 

amount  which  the  Jew  was  unable  to  lend,  determined  to  so  implicate  his  subject 
in  a controversy  concerning  religious  laws  that  he  should  be  glad  to  lend  the 
money  in  order  to  escape  punishment.  The  Jew  avoids  the  snare  by  telling  a 
story  of  three  rings  to  express  his  religious  views . 


. 


0 


y 


>C  ■ - ••3; 


’ 


•fjgsbrit 


55. 

Novel  59,  Of  a Jealous  gentleman,  though  "brief  — 925  words  — 
contains  a short-story  outline  or  plot?  A gentleman  of  Perche  becomes  jealous 
of  his  most  intimate  friend  and  by  revealing  his  distrust  of  the  friendship 
between  his  wife  and  his  friend,  he  incites  the  man  to  evil.  Painter  handled 
the  substance  of  the  story  crudely,  causing  the  story  to  appear  ridiculous. 

He  employed  some  of  the  structural  elements  of  the  short-story,  but  the  tone  — 
the  spirit  — of  the  short-story  is  absent.  The  abrupt  close  of  the  story 
resembles  the  anecdote  as  does  also  the  brevity  of  the  entire  narrative . 

A similar  criticism  applies  to  novel  62,  A Gentleman  of  the  Courts. 

which  is  a story  of  the  revenge  of  a woman  upon  an  admirer  who  followed  her 

until  she  returned  his  admiration,  and  then  became  fickle,  spending  his  time 

1 

with  many  of  the  court  ladies.  The  brevity  — it  is  only  2,220  words, 
crowds  the  narrative. 

Paris  and  Theoxena.  novel  8,  tells  of  the  fortitude  of  Theoxena,  a 
woman  of  Thessaly,  who,  being  widowed,  married  her  sister’s  husband,  Paris,  in 
order  to  carefully  rear  her  nephews.  King  Philip  through  his  cruelty  caused 
her  to  plot  the  death  of  her  entire  family  in  order  that  they  might  escape 
his  cruelty. 

Painter’s  story  is  very  brief  (1480  words),  but  there  is  here  a 
short-story  outline  and  an  opportunity  for  a more  persuasive  portrayal  of  the 
fortitude  of  Theoxena. 

A Gentlewoman  of  Hidrusa.  The  Pollcie  of  a Good  Wife.  A Doctor  of 
the  Lawes.  Sophoni sba . A Lady  of  Thurin.  A President  of  Grenoble.  The  Marchioness 
of  Monficatto.  Dianora.  The  King  of  Morocco.  The  Duke  of  Florence.  Mistress 
Helena  of  Florence.  Two  Maidens  of  Carthage.  Master  Thorello  and  Saladlne  all 

1 

Source:  The  Hep tame rone,  novel  9. 


■ 


■ 

, 


9 i 


. 


« • 


| 


56. 


might  form  th«  plot  of  a short-story,  hut  as  Painter  presented  them  they  only 
ann roach  successful  technique . 

The  Lord  of  Virle.  novel  27,  is,  as  far  as  mechanics  of  plot  are 
concerned,  one  of  the  best  of  Painter's  approaches  to  modern  methods.  There 
are  five  brief  incidents  in  the  story,  all  closely  related  in  one  situation. 
Although  the  action  of  the  story  stretches  over  three  years,  the  greater  part 
of  the  time  is  passed  over  successfully  with  a brief  explanation,  and  the 
action  i9  not  impeded  by  the  lapse  of  time  between  these  incidents.* 

The  characterization  is  consistent,  but  Painter  did  not  improve  upon 
the  light  tone  of  the  narrative  in  spite  of  moralizing  interpolations.  Like 
many  of  the  stories  translated  from  the  Italian,  its  tone  is  neither  comic, 
nor  tragid,  nor  even  serious  to  any  great  degree.  The  lack  of  any  definite 
purpose  shows  very  clearly  here  its  effect  upon  narrative  tone. 

ApdIus  Claudius  and  Verglnla.  novel  7,  approaches  the  short-story 
type.  The  summary  given  by  Painter  preceding  the  story  proper  is  a good 
outline  of  the  plot: 

"Appius  Claudius,  one  of  the  Decerauiri  of  Home,  goeth 
about  to  ravish  Virginia  a yonge  mayden,  which  endevour  of  Appius, 
when  her  father  Virglnius  understode  being  then  in  the  warres, 
he  repaired  home  to  rescue  his  daughter.  One  that  was  betrouthed 
■unto  her,  claimed  her,  whereupon  rose  great  contention.  In  the 
end  her  own  father,  to  save  the  shame  of  his  stock,  killed  her 
with  a Bocher's  knife,  and  went  into  the  forum,  crying  vengeance 
upon  Appius.  Then  after  much  contention  and  rebellion,  the 
Decemuiri  were  deposed."2 


Cf.  Note3tein  and  Dunn,  The  Modern  Short-Story,  p.  18.  "So  long  as  unity  of 
impression  and  sustained  emphasis  on  climactic  situation  are  not  violated,  it 
makes  little  difference  whether  the  action  requires  five  minutes  or  fifty  years." 

^rom  the  above  outline  it  is  manifest  that  there  are  four  incidents  here, 
concerning  four  characters.  The  incidents  are  all  closely  connected  to  portray  a 
single  situation  — the  defense  of  chastity.  The  interest  is  in  the  plot  rather 
than  in  any  one  character's  development,  and  the  narrative  is  briefly  and  direct- 
ly told,-  in  3700  words.  There  is  a spirit  of  tragedy  in  the  story, but  there  is 
no  especial  attempt  to  create  a penetrating  tone;  there  is  no  particular  success 
in  creating  a strong  emotional  effect.  Painter,  it  seems  to  me,  did  not  tell  this 
story  as  well  as  it  was  told  by  Giovanni, who  used  direct  discourse  in  presenting 
the  plea  of  Appius  Claudius,  and  in  the  refutation  of  that  plea  by  the  uncle  of 

to  put  an  oration  Into  the  mouth  of 


■ 


. 


■ l- \i  ■ 

■ 


57. 


Other  Forms  of  Narrative  in  The  Palace  of  Pleasure 


Tales  Word  Length 


"Queen  Anne  of  Hungary"  26,048 

"Sultan  Solymon"  7,400 

"Of  the  3ooks  of  the  Sybella"  300 

"Ermino  Grimaldi" 875 

"Master  Alberto  of  Bologna"  740 

"Rinaldo  of  Este"  1,850 

"Sertorius" 740 

"The  Amazons"  2,220 

"The  Love  of  Chariton  and  Menalippus"  370 

"Of  Ahdolominus,  King  of  Sythia"  380 

"C.  Fahritus"  670 

"Of  the  Beastly  Nature  of  Timon  of  Athens"  505 

"Furius  Camillus"  925 

"The  Historic  of  Papyrius  Praxtexetatus" 370 

"A  Miracle  at  Lyons"  370 

"The  King  of  England’s  Daughter" 2,960 

"Landolpholo  Ruffolo" 1,850 

"Galzano  Madonna" 925 

"A  Combat  Between  the  Romanes  and  Albanes" 2,220 

"The  Pope  of  Lucrece" 1,480 

"Mutius  Scaenola" 925 

" Mar  t ius  Care  o lanus  " 2 , 035 

"Phacon  and  Cartomes" 370 

"Artaxerxes" 550 

"Of  Chaste  Death;  the  Muleteer's  Wife" 1,110 

"The  King  of  Naples" 1,900 

"The  Princess  of  Flaunders" 2,260 

"Of  a Gentleman  That  Died  of  Love" 2,220 

"Zenobia,  Queen  of  Palmyres" 3,130 

"Faustina,  the  Empress" 1,110 

"Three  Amorous  Dames" 3,130 

"Aristotemus  the  Tyrant" 4,255 

"Two  Roman  Queens"  5,650 

"Alexander  the  Great  and  Sisigarabls" 1,110 

"Ariobarzanes" 23,210 

"A  Strange  Punishment  of  Adultery" 1,305 

"Androdus" 720 

Novelettes 

"Of  Rolandine  the  Chaste" 7,500 

"Euphemia  of  Corinth" 6,090 

"The  Countess  of  Celant" 14,295 

"The  Lady  of  Boeme" 24,060 


■ 

... 

... 

. . 

. *;  • 

!••; 

. . 

....  . 



. . 

. ' : v:  ' 1 

• • 



....  - 

. 


58. 


Novelettes  Word  Length 


"The  Lords  of  Nocera". 12,61? 

"The  Erie  of  Anglers" 5,650 

"Giletta  of  Narhonne" 3,145 

"Taucredi" 3,700 

"Mohomet  and  the  Faire  Greek" 2,960 

"A  Lady  Falsely  Accused"  6,830 

"Don  Diego  and  Gineura" 9,990 

"Didaco  and  Violenta" 7,750 

"Alcrane  and  Adelasia" 24,060 

"The  Countess  of  Salisbury" 22,940 

"The  Duchess  of  Savoi" 17,020 

"The  Duchess  of  Malfi" 16,650 

"Hhomeo  and  Julietta" 26,048 

"Two  Gentlev?omen  of  Venice" 16,650 


Miscellaneous 


"Aesop's  Lark" 500  ..fable 

"Of  Lois  and  Demosthenes" 300  ..anecdote 

"Andreccio" 4,810  ..rogue  story 

"The  Duke  of  Venice  and  Riccardo" 3,700  . .rogue  story 

"Phileno  Sisterno" 4,  090 

"Alexander  and  the  Sythian  Ambassador" 1,110 

"Metellus  on  Marriage" 740  not  narrative 

"Plutarch's  Anger" 280  ..anecdote 

"Hannibal  and  Antiochus" 150 

" Favor  inus" 1,110 

"Master  and  Scholar" 810  . .argument 

"Marriate  of  Widow  and  Widower" 500  ..anecdote 

"Letters  of  the  Emperor  Trojan" 7,700  not  narrative 

"A  Gentlewoman  of  the  Courte" 1,080  ..anecdote 

"Cardolus  and  Gyges" 1,050  ..anecdote 

"Francis,  the  French  King" 1,080  . .anecdote 


The  work  of  William  Painter  consisted  mostly  of  translating  and  select- 
ing narratives  from  a fresh  source  — the  Italian  novella*  It  is  significant 
that  he  chose,  on  the  whole,  the  best  of  that  newly  available  material,  that  in 
only  one  or  two  of  his  approaches  to  the  short- story  he  did  not  succeed  as  well 
as  the  Italian  author,  and  that  in  four  instances  he  chose  a narrative  which  is 
a real  short-story,  and  did  not  mar  it  in  the  telling.  The  magnitude  of  his  work 


. . . . . 

■ 

• . ' r 

■ 


■ 


...  ■ i 

... 


. i 

. . . 


■ • - .<  . 

.... 

■ 

. . . 


- 


59. 


waa  an  innovation  in  English  literature,  and  its  quality  might  have  inspired 
writers  of  short  prose  fiction  had  the  time  been  ripe  for  that  inspiration, 
but  as  we  shall  tee  the  drama  instead  profited  thereby. 

Fenton’s  Tragical  Discourses  (1567) 

The  first  Englishman  to  take  advantage  of  the  example  which  William 
Painter  had  set  was  Geoffraie  Fenton,  a student  of  the  French  and  Italian 
literatures  at  the  University  of  Paris,  who  while  there  became  sufficiently 
interested  in  Belief orest 's  Histories  Tragiques  that  he  translated  them  into 
an  English  version  entitled  "Certain  Tragicall  Discourses  written  oute  of 
French  and  Latin  by  Geffraie  Fenton,  no  less  profitable  than  pleasant  and  of 
like  necessitye  to  all  degrees  that  take  pleasure  in  antiquities  or  forreine 
reapportes 

Although  the  Tudor  Translations  gives  this  work  the  title  of  Fenton*  s 
Banda llo , Fenton  did  not  rest  satisfied  to  translate  directly  from  the  Italian 
novelist, — he  took  Belleforest 's  much  expanded  version  and  then,  in  his  own 
narratives,  still  further  "expanded?1  it,  adding  long  pedantic  embellishments  of 
moral  reflection  and  application,  interrupting  his  narrative  in  much  the  same 
manner  as  did  Belleforest,  and  that  more  frequently. 

The  Tragical  Discourses  have  a moralizing,  didactic  tone,  and  Fenton 
used  a copious  vocabulary  gathered  from  all  kinds  of  sources  (some  of  his 
words  were  never  Anglicized^  and  an  elaborate  style. 

Mr.  R.  L.  Douglas,  in  his  introduction  to  the  Tudor  Translation, 
edited  by  Mr.  W.  E.  Henley,  says  that  all  of  the  characteristics  of  Euphuism 
are  apparent  in  Fenton's  Bandello : 


■ 


\ V 


60. 


"In  Fenton's  book  are  to  be  found  all  the  characteristics 
Euphuism  — elaborate  antithesis,  alternate  alliteration, 
the  frequent  employment  of  rhetorical  questions,  and  an 
extravagant  use  of  metaphors  largely  borrowed  from  natural 
history.  . though  he  is  much  more  moderate  in  the  use  of 
such  affectations  than  was  Lyly  or  even  Gascoigne,  he  must 
be  regarded  as  one  of  the  founders  of  Euphuism  — a Euphuist 
before  Euphues."1 


It  is  true  that  when  Fenton  once  got  into  the  spirit  of  his  narrative 

he  "frequently  forgot  all  such  mannerisms  and  wrote  with  great  simplicity  and 

directness,"  but  he  was  frequently  indirect  in  opening  hi6  story.  Discourse  I 

has  nine  pages  of  preliminaries  which  must  be  read  before  the  narrative  is 

really  under  way.  Fenton  did  not  often  apologize  for  his  digressions  as  did 

Painter.  Both  translated  some  of  the  same  stories  from  Bandello;  it  will  be 

interesting  to  compare  the  ability  of  the  two  in  these  stories. 

Professor  Canby  says  that  Belleforest  inflated  Bandello's  rather 

straightforward  novella,  and  Fenton  further  inflated  Belleforest.  Because  of 

this  practice  of  inflation,  there  are  no  narratives  in  Fenton's  work  which  are 

short-stories,  except  in  plot.  The  extreme  brevity  which  at  times  discounted 

Painter's  work  is  turned  about  — Fenton's  thirteen  stories  are  of  greater 

length;  the  shortest  is  told  in  7,800  words,  and  four  reach  beyond  20,000. 

In  his  Tragical  Disc  purees.  Fenton  committed  all  of  the  faults  of 

Painter  — exaggeration,  particularly;  he  was  coarser  in  picturing  horrible 
2 

incidents;  he  chose  fewer  "good"  exanp>les  than  Painter,  using  rather  examples 
of  evil  to  be  avoided.  There  is  no  attempt  at  wit  or  anecdote  in  his  writing; 
he  chose  only  the  tragic,  for  instance:  Fenton  attributed  the  fate  of  his 


P- 


^Fenton,  Geffrayo,  Tragioal  Discourses  (1898), 
liv. 


ed.  W.E. Henley, 


Introduction, 


^Discourse  III,  A Young  Lady  of  My lan;  the  murder  of  the  unborn  child. 


. 


' 


. 


61. 


characters,  very  frequently,  to  some  unseen  evil  influence,  as  in  Discourse  XII, 
of  Perillo  and  Carmos.vna.  The  close  of  this  narrative  becomes  absurd.* 

On  the  other  hand  Fenton  seized  opportunities  to  fill  in  more  care- 
fully the  descriptive  setting  for  his  stories;  e.g.  the  description  of  the 
village  near  Thurin  in  which  dwelt  Zilia  (Discourse  XI).  Fenton  began  in  the 
manner  of  Painter,  and  of  his  sources,  with  a paragraph  of  general  description 
which  was  to  appeal  to  the  reason  as  a background  for  a marvelous  story, — 
vague  and  colorless.  But  he  was  not  satisfied  with  that,  and  continued, 
picturing  for  his  readers  "the  fragrant  air  of  the  fertil  feldes,"  ’’the  drowsie 
tenant  of  the  valley."  (Fenton  did  not  know  how  to  fit  setting  to  the  emotional! 
tone  of  his  narrative,  as  the  abrupt  transition  from  calmness  of  scene  to  a 

description  of  Zilia’s  tempestuous  disposition  proves. ) Yet  this  interest  in 

2 

setting  is  flickering,  for  in  all  but  three  of  his  tragedies  Fenton  was 
content  to  launch  his  narrative  at  once,  omitting  any  preparation  of  time  or 
place,  merely  introducing  his  chief  character  as  a lady  or  a gentleman  of  a 
given  city. 

Fenton  made  other  changes  in  his  "translations";  he  "realized  each 

story  for  himself  and  told  it  in  his  own  way,  ...  he  imparted  some  of  the 

3 

fire  and  freshness  of  an  original  work."  Fenton  is  much  more  difficult  to 
read  than  Painter,  because  his  vocabulary  is  more  difficult,  his  digressions 

*Carruosyna  and  Perillo  enshrined  in  one  tomb,  "with  a certain  epitaphs 
in  Latten,  which  I have  hero  composed  in  our  vulgary  verse;  which  it  may 
please  your  ladyshipp  to  ymagine  to  heare  pronounced  by  the  mouth  of  the  dead 
Perillo,  appearynge  halfe  out  of  his  grave,  in  his  sheete,  trussed  at  eyther 
ends  wyth  a fatall  knott,  speakings  with  a voice  of  terror  accordinge  to  his 
ghastelye  regards." 

^Cf.  Discourse  IX,  p.  96;  Discourse  VI,  p.  250. 

^The  style  used  by  Fenton  is  very  carefully  discussed  by  Mr.  R.  L.  Douglas, 
in  his  Introduction  to  the  Tudor  Translation  of  Bandello,  p.  liv  ff. 


. 

. 


' 


. 


62. 


more  frequent;  yet  in  creative  skill,  he  surpassed  Painter  who  was  for  the 
great  part  satisfied  to  translate  only.  Fenton  was  able  to  recreate  characters 
for  his  plots  by  observing  the  life  about  him,  as  did  the  great  dramatists  who 
used  some  of  these  same  or  very  similar  plots. 

One  example  of  Fenton's  ability  in  character  delineation  is  that  of 
his  abbot.  Painter's  abbots  were  abbots,  and  his  monks  were  monks,  but  Fenton 
tells  more  carefully  of  the  individuality  of  his  man  in  The  Villany  of  the 
Abbot . This  churchman  is  a man  "whose  younge  discresion,  equal  to  the  green 
of  hi 8 years s,  made  him  no  less  insufficient  to  govern  the  state  of  his  vocation 
than  unable  everye  way  to  discharge  the  office  wherein  he  was  invested  by 
oathe  and  habit t of  religion.  For  having  also  consents  of  noble  race  (whereof 
he  was  discended),  to  favor  the  wilful  appetites  of  wilful  youth©,  he  took  more 
delite  to  assyste  the  exercises  of  nobilitie  than  to  sit  in  the  chapter  house 
uppon  reformations  of  his  monkes,  or  to  employe  any  part  of  his  tyme  in  the 
studye  of  the  sacred  volumes  of  the  churche." 

Long  letters,  soliloquies,  and  "rhetorical  debates"  with  conscience 
are  more  frequent  in  Fenton's  Tragical  Discourses  than  heretofore. 

A brief  treatment  of  a few  of  the  thirteen  narratives  will  serve  to 
make  clear  what  Fenton  accomplished. 

A gentleman  of  Sienna,  called  Anselmo  Salimbena,  carrying  out  his 
kingdom's  laws,  determined  to  fine  each  alien  resident  to  a certain  sum  of  money. 

Montannine  could  not  pay.  For  default  he  was  to  lose  his  head. 
A man  who  coveted  Montannine's  farm  offered  him  the  required 
sum  for  his  land.  (Montannine  recites  his  mishaps  in  poetry.) 
Anselmo  Salimbeno  returned  to  the  country;  at  first  he  was 

discourse  I,  Source:  novel  55,  part  1,  Bandello.  Painter:  novel  30. 


Salimbeno 

and 

Angel iqua 


. 


' 


l ft  ■ fr  j 


63. 


tempted  to  take  advantage  of  Montannine’s  misfortune  to  possess  Angelica, 
the  sister,  hut  later  he  realized  that  if  he  truly  loved  Angelica  the  gallant 
thing  would  he  to  love  whom  she  loved;  therefore  he  ransomed  her  brother. 

In  gratitude,  Montannine  felt  that  he  should  surrender  himself  and  his  sister 
to  the  service  of  his  benefactor.  (Painter’s  Angelica  here  indulges  in  a 
long  outburst  of  grief.  Fenton's  heroine  makes  her  own  surrender,  for  the 
sake  of  her  brother.)  The  ruler  refused  the  proffered  service,  married 
Angelica,  and  gave  her  great  honor. 

In  both  translations,  Salimbene  is  the  character  who  most  interests 
us.  Painter’s  heroine  is  melodramatic,  but  Fenton  dignified  her,  making  her 
somehow  victorious,  even  while  she  believed  that  she  had  surrendered. 

This  plot  is  somewhat  less  usual.  Luchyn  wooed  Janiquetta  with 
dishonest  love,  but  was  unsuccessful.  Janiquetta  married  a mariner. 

Luchyn,  persuaded  by  his  friends,  married,  but  was  unhappy. 

Luchyn  and 

. The  mariner  was  imprisoned,  and  Janiquetta  attempted  to  sell 

the  Maiden 

her  honor  to  gain  food  for  her  starving  children,  hut  Luchyn 
protected  her  and  maintained  her  in  honest  livelihood. 

The  development  of  the  character  of  Luchyn  is  similar  to  that  of 

Salimbene . 


1 

Discourse  X. 


jfifl  o-  b**qm$ 


64. 


The  plot  is  the  same  at  that  of  Painter's  story  entitled 
1 

The  Lord  of  Vlrle.  According  to  Bandello,  the  widow  Zilia  was  induced  to 


The  Crueltie 
of  a Wydow 


admit  Fi liber to  to  an  interview  by  a tricky  clown  who 
pretended  to  be  a peddler  of  laces  and  veils.  He  first 


appealed  to  Zilia* s vanity  with  his  display  of  trinkets 
and  finery, and  later  flattered  her  by  telling  of  the  devotion  of  her  suitor, 
who  offered  her  all  his  wares  as  a present.  When,  according  to  Bandello, 
Zilia  had  obtained  the  oath  of  Filiberto  — to  fulfill  his  request  "she  put 
her  arms  about  his  neck  and  kissed  him  on  the  mouth,"  then  demanded  his 
three  years'  silence. 

Painter's  Zilia  was  persuaded  by  the  continued  visits  of  a lady 
friend  of  the  Lord  of  Virle,  to  grant  the  interview.  This  friend  vouched  for 
Filiberto's  honesty.  When  Zilia  had  gained  the  oath,  according  to  Painter, 
"she  embraced  and  kissed  him  very  lovingly.  The  poore  Gentleman,  not  knowings 
how  dearly  he  had  bought  that  disfavorable  courtesy  and  bitter  sweetness, 
held  her  awhile  between  his  armes,  doubling  kiss  upon  kiss,  that  his  soul 
thought  to  fly  up  to  heaven,"  etc. 

Fenton  gave  a yet  different  description  of  this  scene: 


"The  malicious  lady,  notinge  the  fonde  desyer  of  the  knighte, 
and  wyth  what  small  costs  she  might  nowe  rydd  her  of  an  importunate 
suter  — but  for  a price  of  great  pennance  to  him  that  soughte  to 
buy  it  — tolde  hym  that,  as  well  to  satisfye  his  present  request 
as  also  to  make  further  proof fe  of  his  faith,  she  wolde  performs 
the  full  of  hys  lasts  demande  yf  he  wolde  give  her  assurance,  by 
the  fayth  of  a gentleman,  to  one  things  wherein  she  required  hym. 
Which  the  simple  Vyrley  did  not  onely  promisee  by  all  protesta- 


^■Discourse  xi.  Fenton's  narrative  is  about  7,000  words  longer  than 
Painter's,  is  "lighter"  in  tone  and  has  less  preliminaries  than  usually. 


65. 


tions  of  religion  or  oath,  but  pawned  also  the  majestie  of  the 
Highest  for  for  perfortoyng  every  such  commandment  as  it 
pleased  her  to  enjoyne  hym.  Wherewith  she  seamed 
satisfyed  touchyng  th'  assurance  of  his  consent,  and 
thereupon  entered  into  the  of  her  oune  promisse, 

embracinge  and  kissynge  hym  as  if  it  had  been  the  fir3te 
nighte  of  theyr  raariage,"  etc. 


Perillo  wasted  his  fortune  in  gambling  and  was  reproved  by  his 
friends.  He  courted  Carmoyna  successfully.  She  was  unable  to  obtain  her 

father’s  approval  of  her  lover,  therefore  he  took  ship  to  re- 
establish his  fortunes,  was  shipwrecked,  captured,  and  ransomed. 


Perillo 

and 


Carmoyna1  He  escaped  all  sorts  of  perils,  was  joyfaully  wedded  to 

Carmoyna,  but  both  were  killed,  by  a "thunder  bolt"  during 
a storm,  on  their  wedding  night. 

This  narrative  is  very  brief  — 7,800  words,  yet  Fenton  compressed 
action  to  make  room  for  interpolation  and  comment.  The  climax  rests  entirely 
upon  accident,  or  "fate,"  the  unkindness  of  which  Fenton  mourns  at  length. 


The  Petite  Palace  of  Pettle  His  Pleasure  ( 1596) 

George  Pettie,  a graduate  of  Christ's  Church  Oxford,  when  he  had 
gained  some  military  experience  and  had  returned  to  England,  gave  his  attention 

to  literature.  In  this  he  was  encouraged  by  his  chum,  William  Gager,  who  no 
doubt  shared  his  admiration  for  William  Painter's  Palace  of  Pleasure,  and 

^Discourse  xii.  There  is  a great  similarity  between  this  story  and 
Greene's  Carde  of  Fancy. 


' 


7 ..tl  ,,  v\  ' 


>1  r Jic^r:  itaji  vrt  aac©?  ia«  oj  w 


66. 


1 


stimulated  his  attest  to  produce  a similar  work  which  he  called  A Petite 
Palace  of  Pettie  His  Pleasure.^ 

This  little  palace  contains  twelve  narratives,  whose  plots  Pettie 
gleaned  from  Greek  and  Roman  history  and  mythology.  In  spite  of  his  borrowed 
plots,  Pettie  is,  as  Professor  Canby  says,  "more  noteworthy  for  his  invention 
than  for  his  borrowings,"  and  was  "perfectly  free  to  tell  them  as  he  pleased." 

Like  Painter,  he  succeeded  in  the  eyes  of  his  contemporaries.  "The 
Petite  Palace  went  through  at  least  six  editions  by  1613,  and  although  in  a 
later  generation  its  author's  grand-nephew  Wood  called  it  reading  for  school 
boys,  or  rustic  amorata  , yet  in  1581  Pettie  declared  that  it  had  won  him  such 
fame  as  had  'Ll*  which  fired  the  Temple  of  Diane. 

Pettie  attempted  in  each  of  his  narratives,  on  a much  more  elaborate 
scale  than  Painter  or  Fenton,  to  argue  the  questions  of  chief  interest  in  his 
day.  "The  favorite  topics  of  love  and  lust  ivere  discoursed  through  whole  plots 
with  such  ingenuity  that  almost  every  story  ends  in  an  appeal  for  decision  or 

3 

ratification  from  his  audience." 

While  Pettie* s chief  interest  in  narration  was  apparently  "in  ideas 
and  in  every  kind  of  argument  for  which  his  story  could  give  an  excuse,"  yet 

*In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  printer  added  a note  concerning  the  title  of 
Pettie* s Petite  Palace  stating  that  he  knew  nothing  of  the  author,  or  the 
author's  friend  who  offered  him  the  manuscript,  and  the  fact  that  Pettie,  in 
his  preface,  declared  that  he  wrote  principally  for  gentlewomen,  and  did  not 
wish  his  work  to  be  compared  with  Painter's,  his  title  is  "a  barefaced  plagarisnf 
of  that  of  Painter's  volumes.  It  reads: 

"A  Petite  Palace  of  Pettie  his  Pleasure,  contayning  many  pretie  his|ories 
by  him,  set  forth  in  comely  colours,  and  most  delightfully  discoursed." 

^Canby,  Henry  Seidel,  The  Short-Story  in  English  (1909),  p.  133. 

3Ibid. 

4 

The  King's  Classics  under  the  general  editorship  of  Professor  I.  Gollaucz, 
Litt.D.  (1908),  preface. 


. v „ I 


r -f  •*  v 

■ 


67. 


the  reader  is  often  in  doubt  as  to  just  what  text  Pettie  was  really  preaching 
from,  as  for  instance,  in  Alexius : at  the  close  of  this  story,  after  Pettie 
had  condemned  "fleshly  folly"  and  conE&ended  the  sober  second  thought  of  the 
young  man  who  turned  ascetic,  he  said:  "But  I could  preach  better  to  you  in 

a more  pleasant  matter.  I will  leave  this  text  to  Master  Parson,  who  -while 
he  is  unmarried,  I warrant  will  dissuade  you  so  earnestly  from  such  idolatrous 
doting  on  your  husbands,  that  he  will  not  stick  to  tell  you  besides  that  you 
ought  to  have  no  respect  of  persons  but  to  love  another  man  or  himself  so 
well  as  your  husband." 

There  is  a vein  of  humor  here  and  there  in  The  Petite  Palace,  slyly 
slipped  into  the  long  (and  to  us  tiresom)  analogies  of  Pettie.  Throughout 
his  stories  he  lost  no  opportunity  to  rail  against  the  weaknesses  and  follies 
of  womankind,  yet  in  Pygmalion's  Friend  this  sentence  occurs:  "For  he  was  so 

far  off  from  being  able  to  keep  himself  from  being  in  love  with  women,  that 
he  fell  in  love  with  a senseless  thing,  a stone,  an  image  — a just  punishment 
for  his  rash  railing  against  the  flourishing  feminine  sex!"  and  again; 

"and  so  it  may  be  that  this  Pygmalion  thought  himself  some  stone,  and  knowing 
that  like  agree  best  with  their  like  he  thought  he  could  make  no  better  a 
match  than  to  match  himself  to  a stone." 

Of  course,  since  Pettie  used  a very  inflated  — "dropsical" 

Euphuistic  style  — which  Professor  Canby  refers  to  as  "one  of  the  most  curious 
diseases  with  which  a literature  was  ever  afflicted"  "his  stories  are  not  com- 
pressed and  lack  unity  of  tone.  As  they  stand,  the  two  little  volumes  more 
nearly  resemble  arguments  stuffed  with  illustrative  narrative  than  the  short- 
story,  which  has  "swiftness  of  development"  as  its  essential  quality  in  plot. 
Pettie' s classical  subject  matter  is  thought  to  have  caused  him  to  strain  after 
dignity  of  language  to  suit  his  material.  He  had  "no  mercy  for  the  narrative 


o i cl  SB'  nxrt  Meg  1c  Joeqaai  oc  *rr.d  ol  J -..wc 


“ 'vatrrf  la  n ,x  » r <• 


68. 


which  waited.  . . it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  point  out  that  everything 

notable  In  the  narratives  of  these  Euphuists,  except  the  keen  and  ardent 

personalities  of  the  writers  working  freely  through  their  plots,  is  headed 

1 

directly  away  from  good  story-telling." 

In  each  story  which  Pettie  chose  to  retell  he,  as  well  as  Fenton, 
knew  when  he  had  enough  Incident  and  sufficient  climactic  action  for  a good 
plot.  There  is  none  of  the  "over- inclusiveness"  of  incident  to  he  detected 
in  so  many  of  the  "synopses"  of  Painter.  In  regard  to  plot,  then,  Pettie 
approached  the  short- story. 

In  order  that  we  may  see  somewhat  more  clearly  what  was  Pettie's 

success,  in  so  far  as  he  approached  the  short-story,  let  us  turn  to  a brief 

2 

analysis  of  eight  of  his  narratives. 

Synorix  gave  a banquet  in  order  to  get  an  opportunity  to  plead  his 
love  for  Camma,  the  wife  of  Simatus.  She  ignored  his  suit,  and  the  letter 
which  he  wrote  to  her.  Then  he  sent  an  evil  woman,  whom  at 

Synorix 

. first  she  scorned,  but  finally  she  allowed  her  resolution  to 

and 

Camma  be  shaken.  Camma* s husband  was  murdered  at  the  instigation 
of  Synorix,  and  his  widow  forced  by  her  friends  to  consent  to 
marry  her  wooer.  She  took  her  own  life  and  that  of  her  pursuer  by  providing 
poisoned  drink  for  the  marriage  at  the  temple. 

The  theme  of  the  story  is  the  praise  of  chastity.  The  situation  is  a 
contest  of  wills  between  the  chief  characters.  Emphasis  is  upon  plot,  and 


llbid,  pp.  133,  139. 

o 

The  four  remaining  narratives  are  Minos  and  Pasiphae.  a tale;  Pereus  and 
Prqgne,  a novelette  emphasizing  plot;  Axnphlarus  and  Eriphlle.  a tale  (without 
climax);  and  Admetus  and  Alee  at.  a novelette  in  which  the  Creek  gods  appear  as 
characters  in  the  story,  bringing  a wife  back  to  life  because  of  her  husband's 
grief  at  her  death. 


■ 

, l 

* 

' <■'  xaO  t • 

' 

’ 

• • 


a good  climax  is  reached,  but  the  characters  are  merely  lay  figures,  moved 
about  by  the  plot.  Pettie  opened  the  story  with  a praise  of  the  friendship 
enjoyed  by  married  couples  as  the  only  perfect  friendship,  and  reminded  his 


69. 


readers  that  this  story  was  one  "wherein  you  shall  see  a marvelous  mirror  of 
blessed  matrimony,  and  a terrible  type  of  beastly  tyranny."*  Carama  is  a 
"blazing  beauty,"  an  "angel,"  etc.  After  Camma  has  taken  the  poison,  she 
"crawled  home,"  and  learned  of  Synorix'3  death: 


"'Alas,1  she  says  to  her  children,  'who  shall  now  defend 
you  from  your  foes,  who  shall  redress  your  wrongs?  Your  father 
is  gone,  your  mother  is  going,  and  your  poor  souls  must  bide 
behind  to  abide  the  brunt  and  bitter  blasts  of  this  wretched 
world.  But,  alas,  it  was  reason  that  I should  prefer  him 
before  you,  who  was  the  author  of  you,  and  who  blessed  me  with 
you.  Well,  I see  now  ny  time  is  come,  my  tongue  begins  to 
fail.  Come,  dear  children,  and  take  your  last  conge  of  your 
lost  mother.  God  shield  you  from  shame,  God  preserve  you  from 
peril,  God  send  you  more  prosperity  than  your  poor  parents  had. 
And  thus  farewell  my  fruit,  farewell  my  flesh,  farewell  sweet 
babes;  and  0 welcome  my  Simatus,  whom  I see  in  the  skies 
ready  to  receive  me  I'  And  so  in  sorrow  and  in  joy  she  gave 
up  the  ghost. 


A weaker  narrative,  but  one  which  has  possibility  in  its  plot  is 
that  of  Gsrmanicu8  and  Agrippina. 

Germanicus  woos  Agrippina  but  her  father  objects.  Finally 
the  father  is  won  and  the  lovers  are  married.  Germanicus 
seeks  to  attain  high  estate,  and  is  warned  against  it  by 
his  wife.  The  emperor's  throne  appears  possible  for 
Germanicus.  Tiberius  also  ambitious,  becomes  envious  of  Germanicus,  and  murders 


Germanicus 

and 

Agrippina 


^Pettie,  George,  Petite  Palace  of  Pleasure  (1576),  vol.  1,  p.  13. 
2Ibid,  pp.  46,  47. 


. 


, ' . i 


■ 


■ 


70. 


him  by  poisoning.  In  grief  the  wife  starves  herself  to  death. * 

Pettie's  Icilius  and  Virginia  relates  how  Icilius,  refused  marriage 
with  Virginia,  by  her  friends,  is  secretly  betrothed  to  her 

Icilius 

ani  and  departs  to  the  wars.  Appius  Claudius,  a dec  Izmir 

Virginia  attempts  to  enslave  Virginia  through  claiming  her  to  be  born 

a bondservant  to  a wealthy  citizen  or  his  kingdom,  Marcus 

Clodius.  Her  father  slays  her  in  order  to  save  her  honor.  Appius  is  justly 

2 

punished  by  Acilius . 

Painter's  Appius  and  Virginia  more  nearly  follows  Livy  than 
Giovanni;  Painter  adds  a sermon  at  the  close.  Pettie  placed  his  emphasis 
upon  the  love  of  Icilius  and  Virginia,  while  Painter  stressed  the  political 
corruptness  and  moral  laxity  of  Appius.  Less  attention  is  given  by  Pettie 
to  Virginia's  father. 

Scilla  rejected  a suitable  offer  of  marriage,  became  enamoured  of 
King  Minos,  her  country's  energy,  and  betrayed  her  father  to  him.  Minos 

rejected  her  love.  When  he  sailed  away,  Scilla  tried  to  swim 
after  him,  and  was  drowned  in  the  sea. 

Pettie  attained  unity,  brevity  (5,000  words),  and  climax, 
but  here,  as  elsewhere,  he  compressed  action  and  preparation  for 
climax  by  Indulging  in  a long  debate  with  Scilla' s conscience,  after  the  manner 

^Unity  of  plot,  climax,  and  a small  group  of  characters  are  apparent. 

Plot  is  the  thing  emphasized,  yet  it  is  secondary  to  long  discourses  on  the 
value  of  married  life.  The  atmosphere  is  that  of  fatality;  the  lovers  seem  to 
know  that  they  are  walking  into  grief,  but  proceed. 

2Here  we  find  unity  of  plot,  few  characters,-  five,  climax,  and  one  situa- 
tion,- the  frustration  of  the  love  of  Icilius  and  Virginia.  The  moral  is  point 
blankly  stated.  Yet  we  feel  in  this  narrative  a strength  of  character  and  a 
sympathy  for  character,  rare  in  literature  of  the  short  prose  writings  we  have 
read  since  studying  Painter. 


Scilla 

and 

Minos 


; - 


. 


71. 


of  the  Euphuists,  and  we  feel  that  Scilla  was  made  to  fall  in  love  with  Minos 
in  order  that  the  plot  might  move  on,  so  abruptly  did  Pettie  treat  that 
part  of  the  narrative. 

A Roman  maiden,  Horatia,  wept  for  the  death  of  her  lover,  who  died 
fighting  with  the  enemy.  Her  brother  slew  her  for  what  he  termed  her 
"traitor"  love. 

Horatia 

Here  indeed  is  rare  sin?>licity  of  plot,  and  Pettie  told 
Curiatius  the  story  as  barely  as  the  briefest  tale  — in  5,000  words. 

Painter  used  this  plot,  changing  his  source, — Livy, 
but  little.  He  took  a few  privileges  in  changing  indirect  to  direct  discourse, 
and  vice  versa,  but  otherwise  his  version  is  an  accurate  translation.  Pettie, 
however,  made  out  of  whole  cloth  the  lover’s  pleadings  and  the  exchange  of 
letters  between  these  two  for  whom  the  story  was  named.  He  made  an  Ital ian 
lover  of  Curiatius,  and  Horatia  he  transformed  into  an  Italian  maiden,  although 
he  located  his  narrative  in  old  Roman  days,  when  the  "Italianate"  influence  was 
not  known. 

Both  Livy  and  Painter  made  the  warrior's  victory  and  Stoic  philosophy 
the  center  of  the  story,  while  Pettie  chose  to  draw  hie  lesson  from  the 
pretended  disdain  of  Horatia; 

"Surely.  I think  Horatia  chiefly  at  fault  for  holding 
off  so  long  before  she  would  accept  and  acknowledge  the  love 
of  her  beloved.  For  if  she  would  by  any  reasonable  suit  have 
been  won,  they  had  been  married  long  time  before  the  war  began. 

They  had  dwelt  quietly  together  in  Albania  and  Curiatius  being 
a married  man  should  not  have  been  pressed  to  the  war." 


72 


— 


In  writing  this  story,  Pettie  chose  an  Italian  theme  and  source: 

"Cephalus,  a lusty  young  gallant,  and  Procris,  a beautiful  girl, 

Cephalus 

. both  of  the  Duke  of  Venice's  court,  become  each  amorous  of 

and  * 

Procris  other,  and  not  withstanding  delays  procured,  at  length  are 

matched  in  marriage.  Cephalus  pretending  a far  journey,  and 
long  absence,  retumeth  before  appointed  time  to  try  his  wife's  trustiness. 
Procris  falling  into  the  folly  of  extreme  jealousy  over  her  husband,  pursueth 
him  privily  into  the  woods  ahunting,  to  see  his  behaviour:  whom  Cephalus  hearing 
to  rustle  in  a bush  wherein  she  was  shrouded,  and  thinking  it  had  been  some 
game,  slayeth  her  unawares,  and  perceiving  the  deed,  consumeth  himself  to  death 
for  sorrow." 

Pettie,  having  written  the  above  synopsis,  wrote  a page  and  a half  of 
discourse  on  marriage  and  the  effect  of  jealousy  upon  wedded  life,  proceeded 

A 

to  his  story.  The  "modest"  Procris  begins  the  courtship  of  Cephalus,  by  slyly 
showing  him  her  favor;  she  succeeded  in  her  wooing  and  after  her  father  had  per- 
ceived her  plans,  he  sent  Cephalus  away  to  another  arn^r  post. 

Procris,  in  Italianate  fashion,  almost  died  because  of  the  separation, 
therefore  Cephalus  returned  and  the  marriage  was  celebrated.  Cephalus  tired  of 
his  too  easily  won  wife,  and  determined  upon  the  long  journey  which  was  spoken 
of  in  the  author's  synopsis. 

Pettie  stopped  after  each  incident  to  deliver  his  philosophy  con- 
cerning the  deeds  of  the  characters,  and  kept  the  narrative  halting.  He 
spoiled  his  climax  by  anticipating  it  too  frequently. 


» Jter-er*? 


. 


* i }»  tC>0 


73 


The  plot  of  the  narrative  is  that  of  the  old  Greek  myth,  except  that 
Pettie  caused  Pygmalion  to  be  rejected  by  a woman  he  dearly  loved  — after 
which  experience  he  made  "a  new  religion”  for  himself  and  turned  all  his 

thought  to  sculpture.  Still  he  worshipped  womankind  in 

Pygmalion's 

spite  of  himself  and  created  a beautiful  figure  of  a woman, 

Image 

in  marble . Soon  he  fell  in  love  with  the  image  and 
cherished  it  as  if  it  were  real.  When  he  became  too  unhappy  to  bear  her 
"marble”  heart  any  longer,  Pygmalion  prayed  to  Venus  that  she  would  forgive 
hi©  earlier  defiance  of  her  and  make  his  marble  woman  human.  It  was  done, 
for  one  day  as  Pygmalion  caressed  the  statue,  she  came  to  life  at  his  touch, 
and  so  he  made  her  his  wife. 

Pettie  made  capital  of  his  opportunity  to  rail  at  the  haughtiness 
of  beautiful  women,  and  used  sly  irony  in  making  a marble  woman  more  tender. 

He  also  produced  within  his  story  the  usual  Italianate  atmosphere.  Penthea 
was  the  wife  of  Pygmalion's  best  friend.  Pygmalion's  love  for  Penthea  was 
purely  platonic  — or  nearly  so:  "And  if  at  any  time,  as  the  flesh  is  frail, 
the  vehemency  of  his  affection  forced  him  to  persuade  her  to  folly,  he  did  it 
sofhintly  that  it  might  plainly  be  perceived  that  he  was  not  willing  to  over- 
come," Pettie  said.  But  Pygmalion  could  not  endure  an  equal  in  her 
"affections";  when  she  showed  a fair  countenance  to  another  man,  during  her 
husband's  absence,  Pygmalion  "being  in  their  presence,  drunk  up  hie  sorrow  in 
silence,  but  having  withdrawn  himself  out  of  their  company,  he  entered  with 
himself  into  this  raging  railing: 

•0  feigned  fawning,  0 counterfeit  courtesy,  0 deep 
dissembling,  0 honey  mixed  with  gall,  0 heaven  turned 
to  hell!*"  etc. 

Indeed  we  shall  have  to  agree  that  Pygmalion's  love  was  pure ly "platonic" ! ! 


. 


■Me  •• 


74. 


However,  Pettie  was  bent  upon  using  him  as  a foil  for  a cruel  woman  and 
plot  overcame  consistent  character  delineation. 


Alexius  is  the  old  story  of  renunciation  told  in  the  Gesta 
Romano rum. * put  into  Italian  dress.  Professor  Canby  has  summed  it  up 
rather  accurately: 

"The  saintly  Alexius  becomes  an  austere  student,  arguing 


Alexius 

with  his  father  over  love  versus  learning.  He  is  beaten  in 
the  first  heat,  loves,  marries,  enjoys;  but  satiety  follows, 
and  his  concluding  speech  is  a condemnation  of  fleshly  folly.  Thus  the  bold 
Pettie  has  used  all  these  classic  stories  so  that,  with  some  assurance  of  a 

listener,  he  might  first  discourse,  and  next  orate,  and  lastly  abuse  the 

2 

gentlewomen  to  whom  they  were  addressed." 


The  only  remaining  short  prose  of  this  period  is  found  in  jest  books. 

3 

For  reference  I list  the  other  prose  of  the  period: 


^Number  xv  in  Rev.  Swan's  edition. 

^The  Short -Story  in  English  ( 1909 ) , p . 134  . 

®In  1575,  Hemetes  the  Hermyte.a  tale  of  2,880  words  by  George  Gascoigne 
was  written  in  an  English  style,  antedated  to  that  of  1500-15.  (Gascoigne, 
George;  The  Glass  of  Government  and  Other  Works,  ed.  John  W.  Cunliffe  (1910), 
p.  479.) 

In  1576  there  follows  an  unacknowledged  work  in  short  prose,  also  by 
Gascoigne;  it  is  merely  the  description  of  the  cruelty  following  the  siege 
of  Antwerp,  an  historical  tale  of  6,360  words. 


75. 


1566 

Adlington's  Apulius 

1570- 

Asham's  Scholemaster 

1566-7 

Harmon 1 s 

1571 

X 

Fortescue'B  Forest  of  Historie 

Common  Cursators 

1572 

Gascoigne's  Ferdinando  Jeronomi 

1566-7 

Skilton's  Merrie  Tales 

1577 

Holingshed's  Chronicle 

1567-8 

Payne 1 1 1 s t rans la t i on 
(in  part)  of  Amadis 

1578 

Queen  Margaret  of  Navarre's 
translation  of  Ortienez's 

1568-9 

Rowland's  (?)  translation 

Mirror  of  Princely  Deeds  (in 

of  Lazarillo  de  Tortaes 

8 vols.) 

1569 

Underdonne's  translation 
of  Heliodorus 

1579 

Sir  Thomas  North's  Plutarch 

If  we  look  back  upon  the  short 

prose 

fiction  of  these  thirteen  years, 

it  will  appear  that  a new  story  sense,  particularly  manifest  in  preparation 
for  climax,  consistent  characterization,  and  ability  to  maintain  a unified 
tone  was  gained  in  the  writings  of  Painter,  who  produced  one  particularly  good 
short-story,  and  three  other  very  fair  ones.  Besides  these  in  seventeen  other 
narratives  Painter  met  the  plot  requirements  of  the  short-story.  He  brought 
in  zest  and  sprightliness  through  his  Italian  translations,  but  also  introduced 
with  it  ignoble  subject  matter. 

Fenton  had  greater  ability,  if  we  take  his  work  and  Painter's  in  the 
aggregate,  in  the  minute  delineation  of  character  and  setting,  but  he  was  less 
able  in  maintaining  unity  of  spirit  in  narration  because  of  his  Euphuistic 
style,  and  his  fondness  for  the  interpolation  of  didactic  paragraphs.  His 
choice  of  theme  was  less  admirable  than  Painter's  if  we  consider  the  total 
work  of  each. 


1Said  to  contain  a miscellany  of  short  tales,  but  none  are  available  to  me. 


o - 


76 


Pettie  returned  sometimes  to  the  brevity  of  Painter,1  but  followed 

the  trend  of  Fenton  in  themes  and  in  style,  leaning  even  more  toward 

Euphuism,  and  thus  destroyed  the  compression  and  concentration  belonging  to 

the  short- story.  Pettie  made  action  subordinate  to  didactic  interpolations, 

and  allowed  conversation  to  become  long  debate,  in  this  sinning  perhaps  more 

than  Fenton.  "Stiff1  letters,  with  pleas  and  threats  of  lovers  Fenton  and 

2 

Pettie  increased  in  number  and  length.  Healism,  concentration  upon 
emotional  tone,  and  rapid  development  of  plot  were  entirely  lost  in 
Pettie’s  Palace . 


The  longest  story  by  Pettie  is  6,600  words. 

I 

Only  a very  few  times  was  poetry  introduced. 


77. 

CHAPTER  IV 

THE  HISTORY  OP  THE  SHORT- STORY  FROM  1580  to  1600. 

English  prose  fiction  within  the  period  of  1560-1579,  it  will  be 
recalled,  developed  a great  number  of  short  narratives,  intended  to  be  com- 
plete in  themselves.  Authors  were  chiefly  concerned  with  characters  from 
the  ranks  of  the  English  and  Italian  nobility,  and  a very  ornate  style, 
thought  to  be  in  keeping  with  the  noble  characters,  reached  a noticeable 
ascendency  in  the  work  of  George  Pettie.  Didactic  purposes  were  professed 
by  the  writers  of  all  types  of  stories,  even  of  jest  books. 

If  we  refer  again  to  the  table  of  prose  fiction  of  the  period  (1566- 

1579)  it  will  remind  us  that  in  1568-9  there  was  published  a 13,940  word 

prose  story  entitled  Friar  Rush  * This  narrative  resembled,  in  structure, 

the  "fictitious  biographies”  of  our  first  period  (1500-1565).  Again,  in 

1569,  Thomas  Underdowne  published  a translation  (in  109,000  words)  of  Longus' 

2 

Greek  romance  of  Heliodorus:  a second  edition  appeared  in  1577.  Add  to  these 

facts  the  interest  in  Greek  subjects  which  Pettie  showed  in  a number  of  his 
stories,  and  it  will  not  be  surprising  if  we  find  an  increasing  reference  to 
Greek  themes,  and  an  incorporation  of  Greek  romance  in  the  period  which  we  are 
now  to  consider.  Nor  shall  we  be  ■unprepared  for  a ” longer  prose"  structure 
for  narratives,  depending  upon  a single  character  for  unity. 

*Cf.  Thoms,  W.  J.,  Early  English  Prose  Romances  (ed.  E.  A.  Baker,  London, 
1907),  p.  411. 

p 

Cf . "An  Aethioplan  History  written  in  Greek  by  Heliodorus,  Englished  by 
Thomas  Underdawne,  anno  1587,  with  an  Introduction  by  Charles  Whibley,"  in 
the  Tudor  Translation,  ed.  W.  E.  Henley,  London,  1895. 


. 

TV 


■ 


78. 


There  would  be,  apparently,  a struggle  between  the  school  of  the 
collection  of  short  stories  and  the  school  of  the  longer  romance;  likewise 
there  would  be  a struggle  between  the  inventive  or  creative  writer  and  the 
translator.  Let  us  see  what  results  from  the  contest  before  the  close  of 
the  sixteenth  century. 

There  appeared,  at  the  opening  of  our  period,  a long  prose  fiction 
by  John  Lyly,  entitled  Euphues  The  Anatomy  of  Wyt,1  33,900  words  in  length. 
Lyly's  Euphues  was  to  become  the  admiration  and  therefore  the  pattern  of  all 
the  succeeding  writers  of  the  fiction  of  the  sixteenth  century.  The  ornate 
style  so  highly  developed  in  Pettie,  reached  its  climax  in  Lyly,  and  hence  this 
elaborateness  of  writing  bears  the  name  of  Euphuism.  Didactic  purpose  was  so 
prominent  in  Euphues  that  its  influence,  also,  was  felt  until  the  close  of  the 
period.  Of  course  the  Euphuistic  style  and  the  Euphuistic  didacticism  would 
tend  to  lengthen  narratives.  The  chief  characters  of  Euphues  are  nobles  and 
members  of  the  elite  of  the  society  of  their  day.  Did  Lyly's  choice  of 
characters  also  dominate  the  century’s  stories?  Were  there  no  short  stories 
after  Euphues?  Was  realism  lost  in  the  stress  of  instruction? 

Barnaby  Riche  His  Farewell  to  Military  Profession  (1581). 

In  the  year  immediately  following  the  publication  of  Lyly's  Euphues . a 
soldier  with  literary  tastes  published  a work  entitled  Riche  His  Farewell  to 
Military  Profession.2  Barnaby  Riche  (1540?-1617)  evidently  intended  his  work 

^Cf . Bond,  R.  W.,  Complete  Works  of  John  Lyly.  Oxford,  1902;  vol.  I. 

2 

Shakespeare  Society  Publications  (1846),  vol.  16,  p.  108. 


- 

y r« 


79 


as  a valediction  to  his  military  career,  hut  he  returned  to  the  army  soon 
after,  going  to  Ireland.  Although  he  spent  his  youth  in  warfare,  and  among 
men  who  were  unlettered,  he  read  French  and  Italian,  knew  the  classics  through 
translations,  and  was  encouraged  in  his  literary  efforts  hy  Thomas  Churchyard, 
Thomas  Lodge,  and  others  of  their  acquaintance.  He  spent  his  leisure  during 
a period  of  fifty  years  in  attempting  to  write  romances  and  though  many  of  his 
works  — he  boasted  that  he  had  written  thirty- six  books  — are  evident 
imitations  of  Lyly's  Euphues.  the  work  which  we  shall  now  consider,  His  Farewell 
to  Military  Profession,  is  more  nearly  an  imitation  of  Painter  or  Pettie,  since 
it  contains  eight  separate  narratives  only  one  of  which  is  above  20,000  words. 
Barnaby  Riche  stated  his  purpose  in  writing,  on  his  title  page,  thus; 

"Riche,  His  Farewell  to  Military  Profession  containing 
verie  pleasaunt  discourses,  fit  for  a peacable  tyme. 

Gathered  together  for  the  only  delight  of  the  courteous 
gentlewomen  bo the  of  England  and  Ireland,  For  whose  only 
pleasure  they  were  collected  together,  and  unto  whom  they  are 
directed  and  dedicated  by  Barnaby  Riche,  Gentleman." 

Following  the  title  page  there  is  a jesting  comparison  of  the  pleasure 
gained  in  serving  Venus  as  contrasted  with  that  in  serving  Mars ; and  then  — 


"Gentlewomen, — I am  sure  there  are  many  (but  especially  suche  as  beste 
knowe  me)  that  wil  not  a little  wonder  to  see  suche  alteration  in  me,  that 
havying  spent  my  yonger  dales  in  the  warres  amongest  men,  and  vowed  my  selfe 
only  unto  Mars,  should  now,  in  my  riper  yeares,  desire  to  live  in  peace  amongest 
women,  and  to  consecrate  myself  wholy  unto  Venus.  But  yet  the  wiser  sorte  can 
verie  well  consider,  that  the  older  we  wax  the  riper  our  witte,  and  the  longer 
we  live,  the  better  we  can  conceive  of  thynges  appertaynyng  to  our  owne  profites, 
though  harebrained  youth  overhaled  me  for  a tyme,  that  knewe  not  bale  from 
blisse.  Yet  wisdome  now  hath  warned  me,  that  I well  knowe  cheese  from  ch&lke: 

I see  now  it  is  less  painfull  to  follows  a fiddle  in  a gentlewoman's  chamber 
than  to  march©  after  a drumtne  in  the  field;  and  more  sounde  sleepyng  under  a 
silken  canopie,  cloase  by  a freend,  than  under  a bushe  in  the  open  field,  within 
a mile  of  our  foe,"  etc. 


80. 


since  he  cannot  play  or  sing  — Riche  adds: 


"Why,  yet,  if  I could  discourse  pleasauntly  to  drive  away 
the  tyme  with  amorous  devices"  — his  efforts  were  worth  accepting. 
"And  here  gentlewomen,  the  better  to  manifest  the  farther  regard 
of  my  duetie  I have  presented  you  with  a fevre  rough  heawen 
histories;  yet,  I dare  undertake,  so  warely  polished,  that  there 
is  nothing  let  slipp  that  might  breede  offence  to  your  modest 
myndes 


He  expressed  no  intent  to  write  for  the  purpose  of  teaching  or  edifying 
his  readers.  In  a discourse  of  introduction  addressed  to  "the  noble  Souldiers 
bothe  of  Englande  and  Irelande,"  he  says: 


"Then  seeyng  the  abuse  of  this  present  age  is  suche,  that 
follies  are  better  esteemed  than  matters  of  greater  waight, 

I have  stept  on  to  the  stage  amongst  the  rest,  contented  to 
plaie  a part,  and  have  gathered  together  this  small  volume  of 
histories  all  treatyng  (sir,  reverence  of  you)  of  love." 


Again,  Riche  wrote  a preface  "to  the  Readers  in  Generali,"  asserting  his 
stories  to  be  written  for  pleasure  only,  and  that  the  "indecent  words  or 
tearaes"  which  slip  in  he  wished  to  be  regarded  as  jests  that  "displease  me  in 
puttyng  them  forthe." 

On  the  other  hand,  when  Riche  undertook  to  tell  his  stories,  he  inter- 
spersed them  with  personal  comment,  flattering  the  ladies;  and  prefaced  them 
with  didactic  paragraphs,  much  as  did  Painter,  Fenton,  and  Pettie.  Such  inter- 


1 

"I  remember  that  in  ray  last  booke,  entituled  'The  Allarum  to  Englande' 

I promised  to  take  in  hande  some  other  thyng,  but  believe  me  it  wa3  not  this 
that  I ment ; for  I pretended  then  to  have  followed  on,  and  when  I ended  withe 
the  Decaie  of  marciall  discipline,  so  I ment  to  have  begun  againe  with  the 
disciplines  of  warre,  and  with  all  to  have  set  forthe  the  orders  of  sondrie 

bat  tallies but  I see  the  tyme  serves  not  for  any  suche  thyng  to  be  accoumptec 

of, and  therefore  to  fitte  the  tyme  the  better,  I have  putte  forthe  these  lovyng 
histories,  the  which  I did  write  in  Irelande  at  vacant  tyme,  before  the  con^yng 
over  of  Jarae3  Fitz  Morice:  and  it  pleased  me  the  better  to  doe  it,  only  to  keep 
rnysalf  from  idlenesse,  and  yet  thel  sale  it  were  better  to  be  idle  than  ill 
occupied,"  etc. 


' 


81. 


polations  as  the  following  are  frequent: 


"But  see,  I praie  you,  how  farre  my  witte3  heginne  to  square: 

I pretended  but  to  penne  certaine  pleasaunte  discourses  for  the 
onely  pleasure  of  gentlewomen,  and  even  at  the  very  first  entrie 
I am  falne  from  a reasonable  tale  to  a railyng  rage,  as  it  may  seeme. 
But  I praie  you,  gentlewomen,  beare  with  my  weakenesse;  and  as  the 
preacher  in  the  pulpit,  when  he  is  out  of  his  texte,  will  sale  for 
excuse,  Good  people,  though  this  bee  somethyng  digressyng  from  my 
matter,  yet  it  raaie  very  well  serve  at  this  present.  Take  this,  I 
praie  you,  for  ray  excuse  in  like  case. 

And  now  to  ray  purpose,  where  I left  of  before."1 


Barnaby  Riche  was  quite  as  ironical  as  Pettie  and  much  more  subtly 
so.  One  is  continually  catching  himself  up  with  the  inquiry  "Just  what  lies 
behind  this  sentence?"  For  one  thing,  Riche  chose,  at  least  in  so  far  as 
direct  statements  my  be  trusted,  to  ridicule  his  own  sex  — especially  for  their 
effeminate  tendencies,  but  we  can  never  be  quite  sure  that  he  is  not  shaking 

p 

with  laughter,  while  he  phrases  an  elaborate  compliment  to  the  "gentlewomen," 
and  mayhap  that  he  is  scoffing  at  the  very  style  which  he  uses  because  "it  is 
better  suited  to  the  tirae."w 

Of  the  eight  stories,  Riche  appears  to  claim  as  of  his  own  invention 
the  first , Sappho.  Duke  of  Mantua:  the  second,  Apolonlus  and  Scilla;  the  fifth, 
Two  Brethern  and  their  Wives;  the  seventh,  Aramanthus.  borne  a leper:  and  the 
eighth,  Phylotus  and  Emilia.  Riche’s  third  story,  Nlcander  and  Luc ilia;  his 


XIbid,  p.  22. 

2 

Gentlewomen,  accordyng  to  ray  promise,  I will  here,  for  brevities  sake, 
omit  to  make  repetition  of  the  long  and  dolorous  discourse  recorded  by  Silla 
for  his  sodaine  departure  of  her  Apolonius,  knowyng  you  to  bee  as  tenderly 
hearted  as  Silla  herself,  whereby  you  male  the  better  conjecture  the  furie  of 
her  fever. 

3 

Riche  is  no  more  extreme  in  his  use  of  the  Euphuistic  conceits  than  was 
Pettie.  Soliloquy,  rhetorical  question,  and  long  learned  conversation  are  the 
rule  in  Riche  His  Farewell,  but  he  made  little  use  of  the  extravagant  metaphors 
and  8imilie3  that  are  characteristic  of  Euphuism. 


' 


■ 


82. 

fourth,  Fileo  and  Fiarama;  and  his  sixth,  Gonsales  and  his  vertuous  '.vife  Agatha, 
are  drawn,  he  says,  from  the  Italian  of  Master  L.  B.,  possibly  an  inaccurate 
reference  to  Bandello.  In  a concluding  section  Riche  tilts  against  the 
extravagance  of  English  women’s  dress,  and  incidentally  tells  a story  of  the 
King  of  Scotland  somewhat  resembling  Machiavelli 's  Belphegor . 

Riche,  then,  was  even  more  inventive,  more  of  a creator  of  narrative 
than  Pet tie,  and  not  a translator  as  were  Painter  and  Fenton.  He  did  not 
strive  for  the  credence  of  his  readers  — he  frankly  stated  that  his  tales 
were  "forged  only  for  delight,  neither  credible  to  be  believed."'*' 

A close  examination  of  Riche's  nine  narratives  reveals  their  diversity 
of  narrative  form.  The  first,  Sappho.  Duke  of  Mantona.  (15,900  words)  contains 
this  complicated  plot: 

"Sappho  Duke  of  Mantona  havyng  long  tyme  served  Claudius,  the 
Eraperour,  by  whose  magnanimitie  and  raartiall  prowest  sundrie  victories 

were  achieved  against  the  Turke,  was  by  false  imposition 


Sappho  Duke 
of  Mantona 


banished,  hymself , Messilina  his  wife,  Aurelaniu3  his 


sonne,  with  Phylene  his  daughter,  in  whiche  banishment  thei 
sustained  sundrie  conflictes  of  Fortune,  but  in  the  ende  restored  againe  to 
their  former  estate  and  dignitie." 

The  characters  are  lay  figures;  their  soliloquies  and  long  pleas  are 

very  similar  to  those  of  Painter's  Palace : some  sentences  and  even  paragraphs 

2 

are  nearly  identical. 


Ibid,  p.  16. 

2 

Cf.  Painter's  Duchess  of  Malfi.  in  vol.  iii,  p.  13;  Compare  Riche,  pp . 35- 
36.  Likewise  compare  Painter,  vol.  iii,  pp.  14-15  with  Riche,  pp . 42-43. 


' 


. 


* 


83. 


The  plot  of  Apolonius  and  SI 11a.  Riche's  "second  historie”  is  also 
too  complicated  for  the  short  story. * The  soldier-author  opened  his  narrative 
with  one  and  a half  pages  of  discourse  upon  the  real  foundation 
of  true  love  — "deserte,"  and  the  perverseness  of  people  in 
loving  those  who  are  undeserving  and  do  not  requite  their 
passions.  The  sea  captain  and  Silla  are  not  poorly  characterized 
Riche  also  succeeded  in  reaching  a very  satisfactory  method  of  presenting 
climax,  in  both  threads  of  his  plot,  even  if  both  situations  are  rather 
burlesque . 


Apolonius 

and 

Silla 


Nlcander  and  Luc 11 la  is  the  story  of  triumph  of  virtue  in  the  heart 
of  an  evil  Prince  who  attempted  to  seduce  a betrothed  maiden,  and  did  succeed 
in  bribing  her  bother  with  promises  of  a splendid  dowery  for 
her  daughter.  The  plot  is  simple.  Riche  opened  his  narrative 
with  directness,  refraining  from  moralizing  remarks  until  the 
close  of  his  story. 

He  was  not  so  successful  in  characterization.  Lucilla's  shame  is  more 
spoken  about  by  the  author  than  apparent  in  her  calm,  and  her  lengthy  oration 
to  Don  Hercules;  neither  is  Don  Hercules  real.  There  is  no  experience  related 
of  the  Prince's  earlier  life  to  give  a reason  for  his  sudden  remorse  for  himself 


1 

P.  67:  "Apolonius,  Duke,  havyng  spent  yeres  of  service  in  the  warres 

against  the  Turks,  returning  homeward  with  his  companie  by  sea,  was  driven  by 
force  of  weather  to  the  lie  of  Cyprus, where  he  was  well  received  of  Pontus, 
gouvenor  of  the  same  lie,  with  whom  Silla,  daughter  of  Pontus,  fell  so 
strongly  in  love,  that  after  Apolonius  was  departed  to  Constantinople,  Silla 
with  one  man,  followed,  and  coramyng  to  Constantinople,  she  served  Apolonius 
in  the  habite  of  a manne,  and  after  many  prety  accidentes  falling  out,  she 
was  knowne  to  Apolonius,  who,  in  requital  of  her  love,  married  her." 


Meander 

and 

Luc ilia 


■ 


' 

..  b ■ v. ; , ] | 


' 


84. 


and  respect  for  Lucilla.  Riche  would  have  had  more  foundation  for  Don  Hercules' 
surrender  if  he  had  made  him  a debtor  to  Lucilla’ s lover,  Nicander,  or  a dear 
friend  of  his. 

The  moral  purpose  which  Riche  expressed  in  the  story's  conclusion  is 
more  believable  than  in  some  of  the  narratives,  for  there  is  no  lightness  of 
tone  here,  yet  the  sensual  scene  which  serves  for  the  climax  is  scarcely  in 
keeping  with  it . 

The  theme  of  Fineo  and  Fiamma  is  almost  identical  with  that  of 
Nicander  and  Lucilla:  the  "virtuous  villain"  in  this  story,  however,  is  the 

Mohammedan  King  of  Tunis,  who  has  a great  number  of  wives  and 
concubines,  and  yet  is  overcome  by  "the  teares  of  Fiamma  and  the 
onely  name  of  love,"  and  is  converted  to  pity  and  compassion  by 
the  misfortunes  of  Fiamma  and  her  lover,  Fineo  . 

Riche  opened  this  narrative  with  directness  and  refrained  from  moral 
comment  until  the  concluding  sentence  in  which  he  stated  that  though  Fortune 
may  for  long  abuse  us,  God  will  finally  overcome  her  purpose.  (Here  Fortune 
would  seem  to  be  the  personification  of  a feminine  Lucifer.) 

So  far  as  mechanics  are  concerned,  Barnaby  Riche  developed  a short- 
story  plot  in  this  fourth  history,  but  his  plot  is  unreal.  Fineo,  Fiamma ’ s 
lover,  was  given  charge  of  the  "cube"  or  harem  wherein  the  cruel  king  kept  his 
wives  and  concubines,  but,  according  to  all  accounts  of  the  harems  of  the 
Moharame dans ,:i only  eunuchs  were  preferred  to  such  offices.  Riche's  resolution 
is  too  easily  effected;  it  is  not  real. 

Of  Two  Brethern  and  their  Wives  is  a tale,  without  climax.  "Two 


Finio 

and 

Fiamma 


brothers  making  choyse  of  their  wives,  the  one  chouse  for  beauty,  the  other  for 


. : 


i ; 


t 


85. 


riches:  it  happened  "unto  them,  after  thei  were  married,  the  one  of  their 

wives  proved  to  he  of  light  disposition,  the  other  a 

Of  Two  Brethern 

common  scold:  in  what  manner  they  lived  with  their 

and  their 

hushandes  and  how  in  the  ende  the  first  came  to  live 

Wives 


orderly  and  well,  hut  the  other  could  he  brought  hy  no 
device  to  any  reason  or  good  manner."  The  tone  throughout  this  narrative  is 
very  light  and  some  of  the  incidents  are  portrayed  with  the  coarseness  of  the 
rogue  story.  Riche  occupied  two  pages  with  introduction,  twenty-five  in  telling 
the  story  of  the  beautiful  wife,  and  two  pages  in  telling  of  the  rich  wife;  the 
two  narrative  threads  are  unwoven, — unplotted. 


The  argument  of  Riche's  sixth  history,  Of  Gonsales  and  his  virtuous 

wife  Agatha,  is  founded  most  likely,  upon  Boccaccio's  story,  in  novel  four  for 

the  tenth  day  (which  Painter  translated  in  his  novel  XIX,  tome  ii).  Riche's 

Gonsales  "hero"  however,  is  a less  estimable  character  than  the  Gentil 

an<*  Carisendi  of  Boccaccio,  who  left  the  city  in  which  his  passion 

Agatha 

would  give  him  no  peace  because  the  wife  of  his  friend  resided 
there,  and  who  later  rescued  this  woman  from  the  grave  for  kind- 
ness' sake,  and  restored  her  and  her  new-born  babe  to  her  husband.  In  Riche's 
story  Alonso  is  a scholar  who  assisted  his  friend  in  making  away  with  his  wife^ 
by  a sleeping  potion^and  rescued  her  for  his  own  sake, — hoping  to  have  her 

love  when  she  was  persuaded  that  her  husband  was  false;  Alonso  renewed  his  dis- 
honest suit  in  the  tomb;  failing?he  put  the  wife  in  charge  of  a housekeeper  who, 

he  was  sure,  could  persuade  Agatha  to  love  him. 

Barnaby  Riche  omitted  the  incident  of  the  birth  of  a child,  and  thereby 
made  his  story  more  credible;  he  produced  a short-etory  with  emphasis  upon  plot. 


. 


. 


* 


. 


■ 


. *=■- 


86. 


Aramanthus  Of  Aramanthus  borne  a leper  cannot  t>e  called  a 

borne 

short-story;  it  lacks  unity  of  plot,  and  contains  too  much 

a leper 

incident.  This  is  likewise  true  of  Fhylotua  and  Emilia, 
which  partakes  of  the  rogue  story  type  of  humor.  In  Fhylntna,  however,  the 
brief  speeches  of  the  chief  characters  are  more  realistic 

Phylotus 

ana  than  much  of  the  conversation  in  the  narratives  of  the 

Emilia  century. 

Within  his  conclusion  Barnaby  Riche  told  a story,  seven 
pages  in  length,  which,  except  for  its  great  brevity,  would  be  a short-story. 

It  possesses  unity,  climax,  and  singleness  of  impression.  As  it  stands  it  is 
more  like  the  anecdote.* 

Barnaby  Riche  approached  the  short-story  method  in  three  of  his  nine 
narratives:-  Meander  and  Luc  11  la.  Elneo  and  Fiamma.  Baltzasar . He  wrote  one 

short-story  with  emphasis  -upon  plot,  in  his  narrative  of  Gonsales  and  Agatha. 

As  a v/hole,  his  work  consisted  of  longer  and  more  intricate  plots  than  those 
of  his  predecessors  who  attempted  shorter  narrative.  These  narratives  by  Riche 
served  as  excellent  material  for  the  dramatists,  but  did  not  contribute  greatly 
to  the  development  of  short-stories.  We  shall  see  whether  his  creative  ability 
inspired  his  successors  to  go  beyond  mere  translation. 


1 

Synopsis:  The  devil,  Baltzasar,  came  to  earth  and  fell  in  love  with 

Mistress  Mildred.  Her  parents  consented  to  the  marriage.  After  the  wedding, 
the  devil  gave  his  wife  a chance  to  make  one  request,  the  fulfilling  of  which 
was  to  satisfy  her  for  life.  She,  with  the  counsel  of  her  mother,  required  a 
conplete  suit  of  clothing  in  the  latest  fashion.  But  she  soon  wanted  more 
clothing  in  order  to  keep  up  with  the  styles,  and  so  plagued  her  husband  fre- 
quently. He  finally  fled  to  Scotland.  Learning  that  his  wife  had  followed 
him,  he  preferred  to  return  to  hell. 


. 


■ 


87. 

Robert  Greene1 ( 1558- 1592) 

Professor  Jordan  has  so  admirably  treated  the  life  and  the  works  of 
Robert  Greene  in  his  volume  published  in  1915  in  the  Columbia  University  Studies 
in  English  and  Comparative  Literature,  that  any  introduction  to  the  man,  or 
lengthy  discussion  of  his  writings,  except  with  direct  reference  to  Greene's 
part  in  the  development  of  the  short-story  form,  is  unnecessary  here.  Suffice 
it  to  say  that  Greene  continued  in  the  vein  of  his  predecessors  in  the  matter 
of  writing  long  prefaces  to  explain  the  purposes  of  his  books  — to  cause  his 
readers  to  "read,  laugh,  and  learn,"  and  that  he  was  one  of  the  most  prolific 
writers  of  his  time,  writing  to  please  the  audience  which  accepted  his  previous 
works,  and  falling  in  line  with  each  new  literary  fashion,  but  presented  a new 
element  in  the  composition  of  narrative  in  that  he  preferred  even  in  hie 
earliest  books,  to  write  his  long  stories  in  sections,  or  parts,  each  part 
being  in  itself  more  or  less  a complete  narrative. 

Mamillia, complete,  is  over  35,000  words  long,  and  so  would  fall 
outside  my  thesis,  but  although  the  First  Part  is  not  a short-story  (for  the 
short-story  is  not  the  same  thing  as  an  episode  taken  from 
Mamillia  a ionger  story),  yet  there  are  elements  in  the  first  attempt 

of  Greene's  which  should  be  noticed  in  passing.  The  story  was 
written  in  obvious  imitation  of  John  Lyly's  Euphues.  but  Greene  was  — if  I 
may  be  allowed  a paradoxical  expression  — original  in  his  imitation.  He 

^Although  the  first  part  of  Greene's  Mamillia  was  published  in  1580,  since 
the  entire  work  was  not  complete  until  1583,  and  since  Barnaby  Riche's  Farewell 
(1581)  was  not  greatly  influenced  by  Euphues  (1580)  I chose  to  discuss 
Barnaby  Riche  first . 


88. 


profited  by  the  definiteness  of  plan  which  he  found  in  Euphues . but  he 
created  his  own  characters  and  reversed  Lyly's  plot, — and  at  the  same  time 
produced  a treatise  very  similar  to  that  of  his  master.  To  quote  Professor 
Jordan: 


•'The  First  Part  of  Mamillia is  the  only  one  of  his  novels.... 

of  which  the  form  was  cast  in  the  mold  set  by  Lyly.  But  though 
Greene  only  once  chose  Euphues  as  the  model  for  his  own  work, 
there  is  no  doubt  that  he  wrote  Mamillia  with  Lyly's  novel, 
and  Lyly's  success,  in  mind.  Mamillia  has  come  from  the  court 
of  Venice  to  be  at  her  father's  house  in  Padua.  She  receives 
a letter  from  a friend  at  court  as  to  matters  of  conduct.  At 
her  father's  house,  one  Pharicles  sees  her,  falls  in  love  with 
her,  and  wins  her  affection.  Shortly  afterward  Pharicles  sees 
Publia,  woos,  and  wins  her.  Thus  treacherously  engaged  to  both 
ladies  at  once,  and  fearing  the  outcome  of  such  faithlessness, 
he  decides  to  leave  the  country.  He  does  so,  leaving  behind 
two  faithful  women,  both  of  whom,  in  spite  of  his  fickleness, 
remain  constant  in  their  affection.  Publia  in  the  Second 
Part  enters  a convent;  Mamillia  — a radical  departure  from 
Euphues  — marries  Pharicles. 


Robert  Greene,  then,  did  not  rest  content  to  translate  stories,  nor 
to  imitate  slavishly.  He  carried  further  the  inventiveness  of  Pettie  and 
Barnaby  Riche.  He  was  not,  however,  wholly  Independent,  for 


"Not  in  form  only,  but  also  in  purpose,  was  Greene's  first 
novel  witten  in  very  obvious  emulation  of  Lyly.  Although 
he  did  not  follow  the  exact  type  again,  Greene  began  to  write 
in  accordance  with  the  prominent  tradition  of  the  time;  and 
this  tradition  involved  not  only  the  form  of  Euphues.  but 

its  aim  as  well.  Lyly's  purpose  was  primarily  didactic 

Greene,  although  he  omits  Lyly's  element  of  satire,  also  was 
aiming  at  edification.  He  was  carrying  on  in  Mamillia  the 
tradition  of  the  treatise."2 


If  we  grant  that  Greene  copied  Lyly's  method  of  narration  in  accepting 
his  plot,  and  at  the  same  time  note  that  Greene  rather  cleverly  turned  Lyly's 

^Jordan,  John  Clark,  Robert  Greene  (1915),  pp.  15-16. 

2 Ibid,  pp.  16-17. 


' 


• . 


. 


89. 


plot  about,  making  his  treacherous  lover  a man,  we  must  also  speak  of 
Greene's  freedom  in  his  delineation  of  these  characters  who  take  the  places, 
in  reverse,  of  Lyly's  people: 


"We  are  not,"  Professor  Jordan  reminds  us,  "to  be 
blind  to  the  importance  of  Greene's  work,  nor  to  discount  it 

too  much  from  the  fact  that  it  is  directly  a copy 

Publia,  Mamillia,  and  Pharicles  are  more  than  just  the 

inverse  portraits  of  Philantus,  Euphues,  and  Lucilla 

Pharicles  meets  Publia  immediately  upon  his  acceptance  by 
Mamillia.  The  whole  situation  indeed  is  more  cleverly  con- 
ceived than  in  Lyly.  Philantus  takes  Euphues  to  Lucilla  for 
the  purpose  of  introducing  him  to  her.  The  introduction  is, 
obviously,  to  make  opportunity  to  reveal  Luc ilia's  fickleness; 
in  Greene,  on  the  other  hand,  the  introduction  is  manifestly 
accidental.  Pharicles  is  'walking  with  Mamillia  for  the  sake 
of  urging  his  suit.  It  happens  that  she  is  going  to  Publia's 
house.  Pharicles  goes  along.  Inasmuch  as  Mamillia  has  just 
granted  her  love  by  the  time  they  arrive,  we  are  dumbfounded 
at  Pharicles'  sudden  passion  for  Publia.  The  events  that 
follow,  too,  occur  in  quick  succession;  almost  before  we  know 
it,  Pharicles  is  betrothed  to  both,  and  off  and  away  to 
Sicily.  The  apparent  fortuitousness  of  Pharicles*  meeting 
with  Publia  illustrates  what  I think  is  Greene's  advance  over 
Lyly.  It  shows,  on  Greene's  part,  a realization  of  what 
narrative,  as  distinct  from  treatise  demands.  Euphues  is 
a treatise  which  came  near  being  a story;  Mamillia  is  a story 
which  retains  much  of  the  treatise.  Although  he  was  striving 
to  imitate  Lyly,  Greene's  nature  led  him  to  a slightly  differ- 
ent result.1  He  put  into  a minor  relation  the  very  things  for 
the  sake  of  which,  perhaps,  he  wrote  the  book,  and  elevated 
those  which  his  fundamental  interest  in  events  inevitably 
made  prominent.  Even  in  his  first  production,  when  his  pur- 
pose was  to  preach,  he  developed  the  ability,  which  he  was 
later  to  develop  more  consciously,  of  producing  work  with 
real  narrative  art . Qmne  tulit  punctum  qui  mis  cult  utile 
dulci . Lyly,  it  may  be  said,  had  stressed  the  utile . 

Greene  found  the  value  of  the  dulci . Such  a discovery  in 
those  days  was  no  small  thing  for  a lad  of  twenty. 


Mamillia  bears  considerable  resemblance,  in  point  of  plot,  to  Painter's 
Amadour  and  Florinda,  and  Heptameron  x . 

2 

Ibid,  pp.  18-19. 


. 


■ 


. 

. 


. 


90. 


In  1584  Greene's  Mirror  of  Modesty  appeared.^  His  address,  therein, 
"to  the  gentle  readers”  combines  an  excuse  for  publishing  "trash”  (written  be- 
cause of  a lady's  request)  with  an  "epistle  dedicatory *s"  assurance  that 

Greene  hopes  to  influence  all  women  to  be  chaste  and  modest. 

Mirror 

^ The  address  to  the  readers  asks  that  they  "wink  if  they  spie 

Modesty  a sPot>"  since  he  is  attempting  to  please  a lady. 

The  plot  , which  fulfills  the  requirements  for  the  short- 
story,  brings  the  climax  at  the  very  close  of  the  story  — it  is  the  old 
modest  Susanna  theme  — and  prepares  one  for  the  climax  without  anticipating 
the  manner  of  the  solution  of  that  climaxj  Daniel  is  not  introduced  lintil  the 
last.  Greene  handled  his  theme  seriously,  in  spite  of  the  tone  of  the 
prefaces,  but  fails  in  characterizing  Susanna  who  makes  a long,  bold  reply  to 
the  wicked  elders.  The  garden  setting  is  better  done  than  most  of  the 
descriptions  of  the  century. 


Planet oraachia  (1585)  introduced  Greene's  "framework"  method  for 
narration.  From  its  very  nature,  being  dependent  upon  singleness  of  emotional 

impression  for  its  effect,  the  short-story  like  the 

The  Framework 

sonnet,  is  not  advisedly  written  in  a "series,"  and 

Narratives 

consequently  the  framework  method  defeats  short- story 
technique.  Besides  this,  the  frame  is  a method  born  of  didacticism,  and 


Greene's  Morando  or  the  Tritameron  of  Love  (1584-7)  is  not  classified 
as  narrative,  since  by  far  the  greatest  part  of  the  work  is  exposition  or 
discourse.  The  frame  is  negligible.  Hi3  Arabasto.  the  Anatomle  of  Fortune 
(21,000  words)  is  a long  drawnout  Euphuistic  romance,  and  his  Card  of  Fancy 
(1584-7)  is  a similar  romance  (in  style),  the  plot  resembling  the  Duke  of 
Mantua  story  in  Riche's  Farewell. 

For  similar  reasons  I have  not  given  room  to  a discussion  of  Lodge's 
Forbonius  and  Pri3ceria  (1584).  Though  it  is  Euphuistic  in  style,  Eorbonius 
seems  to  have  gained  nothing  from  Lyly  in  regard  to  narrative  method. 

2 

Cf.  footnote  on  Tritameron  of  Love,  p.  £j  q of  this  chapter. 


. 


91. 


therefore  ill-suited  to  good  narrative.^- 

Although  Robert  Greene's  narratives  written  from  1587  to  1598  are  all 

built  upon  this  framework  plan,  which  ms  not  fortunate  for  either  long  or 

short  prose,  yet  there  are  a few  of  the  included  tales  in  which  Greene 

approached  the  short-story  knack.  Both  Professor  Jordan  and  Doctor  Wolff 

have  culled  these  narratives  and  have  chosen  Tompkin's  Tale  in  Greene's 

Vision  and  The  Tale  of  the  Farmer  Bridegroom  in  the  Groat sworth  of  Wit  as 
2 

his  best  .w 

Other  "tales"  of  Greene  might,  it  seems  to  me,  be  added  to  Professor 
Jordan's  Tabulation  of  the  Framework  Tales,  for  they  are  as  much  individual 
stories  incorporated  in  a longer  narrative  thread  as  are  the  ones  which  he 
has  listed.  There  is  this  difference, — they  are  usually  more  brief,  and 
the  connecting  sentences  often  form  a part  of  the  conclusion  of  one  story, 

3 

or  the  introduction  of  the  next.  One  of  these,  The  Conversion  of  an  English 


^Note  that  Professor  Jordan  (Robert  Greene.  1915,  p.  27)  thinks  the  frame- 
work and  its  didacticism  was  more  heeded  and  therefore  more  of  an  impediment 
to  narrative  writing  in  Greene's  day.  We  pay  little  attention  to  it,  the  tales 
stand  out  so  much.  Thus  it  was  true  that  the  frame  method  was  an  unfortunate 
bequest  to  Greene's  successors. 

Cf.  C.  W.  and  W.  J.  Dawson,  The  Great  English  Short-story  Writers  (1910), 
p.  12:  "The  ethical  method  of  handling  fiction  falls  between  two  stools;  it  not 

only  fails  in  portraying  that  which  is  true  for  the  individual,  but  it  incurs 
the  greater  error  of  ceasing  to  be  true  of  the  face,  i.e.,  typical."  Also 
Notestein  and  Dunn,  The  Modern  Short- story  (1914),  p.  26:  "People  generally 

prefer  their  sermons  straight.  In  a story,  they  do  not  wish  the  lesson  to  be 
too  obvious.  They  wish  to  feel  that  whatever  lesson  there  is  lurking  underneath 
a story  has  been  found  by  their  own  superior  interpretative  powers."  Again, 
Albright,  The  Short- story  (1909),  p.  47:  "The  point  to  be  remembered  is,  that  a 
story  cannot  take  high  rank  unless  it  has  an  inspiring  motive  of  some  sort  to 
furnish  it  a reason  for  existence." 

^Jordan,  John  Clark,  Robert  Greene  (1915),  pp.  28  ff.  Cf.  also  English 
Studies,  vol.  37,  pp. 348-9.  These  tales  may  be  read  in  Grosart's  edition  of 
Greene  in  The  Auth  Library,  vol.  xii,  p.  224  and  p.  121,  respectively.  So  far  no 
source  has  been  found  for  these  stories.  Apparently  they  are  original. 

3I  refer  to  the  conny- catching  pamphlets,  including  the  Disputation  between 
a Hee  Conny- Catcher  and  a Shee  Conny- catcher  (1592). 


. 


. . 


92. 


Court izan  (second  part  of  Disputation)  comes  as  near  "being  a good  short-story 
as  do  the  two  chosen  by  Professor  Jordan  and  Dr.  Wolff.  True,  it  lacks  the 
directness  of  these  two  stories,  for  in  the  story  of  the  Courtizan,  Greene, 
putting  the  story  into  the  mouth  of  the  chief  character,  and  thus  making  the 
narrative  a confession,  digresses  frequently  for  purposes  of  didacticism. 
However,  there  is  (if  we  ignore  the  sentences  of  deeper  reflection  and  remorse 
which  are  not  a consistent  part  of  the  courtizan's  character  but  are  really 
Greene  poking  his  head  on  the  stage  for  an  "aside”)  something  strangely  and 
pathetically  real  about  this  fallen  woman  who  admired  an  honest  man,  after 
years  of  disrespect  for  manhood,  and  was  saved  from  a life  of  shame  by  his 
pity  and  affection.  This  courtizan  is  a shallow-brained  woman,  childishly 
vain  of  her  beauty  and  pitifully  lacking  in  moral  sense;  she  was  a spoiled 
child,  who  never  had  acquired  self-restraint  or  self-respect.  The  clothier 
who  converted  her  seems  rauch  less  real, — his  method  of  bringing  the  courtizan 
to  see  the  error  of  her  way  does  not  seem  consistent  with  his  higher  sensi- 
bilities, nor  does  his  marriage  with  the  courtizan  appeal  to  us  as  probable. 

On  the  other  hand  such  a woman  as  Greene  describes  would  hardly  change  her 
life  without  the  promise  of  ease,  admiration  and  affection;  she  would  hardly 
work  out  her  salvation. 

Greene's  converted  courtizan  is  not  like  Nan,  a type,'1'  she  is  unique, 
in  spite  of  Greene's  attempt  to  make  her  a mouth-piece  for  "a  watch-word  to 
wanton  maidens,"  etc.  He  described  her  impartially  even  while  he  made  her 
describe  her  own  character.  The  plot  may  be  unsteady,  stretching  our  belief, 

^"Whoever  Nan  and  Lawrence  may  be  — creations  of  Greene's  own  imagination  — 
they  are  a man  and  woman  in  any  time  and  in  any  place.  Be  the  woman  a 
catcher,  she  is  Nan;  be  she  an  Egyptian  queen,  she  is  Cleopatra;  be  she  a 
sorceress,  she  is  Circe."  — Jordan,  J.  C.,  Robert  Greene,  p.  119. 


' 

■ 


. 


93. 


but  the  emotional  impression  of  the  story  is  a sure  and  lasting  one;  in  that 

respect  Greene  succeeded  in  approaching  the  short-story.1  (It  may  be  of 

interest  to  recall  here  that  when  Greene  began  writing  cony-catching 

pamphlets,  he  asserted  that  he  was  adding  to  his  purpose  of  edifying  the 

general  public,  the  hope  of  converting  the  class  of  people  he  exposed.) 

It  is  within  these  "included"  tales  of  the  picaresque  order  that 

Greene  did  his  best  work  toward  developing  the  short-3tory.  Sometimes  he 

rested  satisfied  with  having  thrust  his  preachment  into  the  framework,  and 

allowed  the  included  stories  leeway  for  free  and  direct  narration.  Likewise 

3 

in  point  of  realism,  this  class  of  stories  is  Greene's  best.  In  Alcida. 
in  Menophon.  in  Pandosto,  in  Philomla.  Robert  Greene  "cut  loose  from  any 
probable  contemporary  world,  and  either  embarks  for  an  impossible  Bohemia, 
or,  inspired  by  the  bold  Portuguese,  sails  under  Antarctic  skies  to  Taprobane 

7 

(our  Ceylon)"  ...  "but  Greene's  so-called  cony-catching  pamphlets  were 
really  valuable  studies  of  the  lives  of  the  sharpers,  and  made  a genuine 

contribution  to  the  material  for  a new  novel  of  realism,  which  was  to  come  only 

4 

with  a later  generation." 

Professor  Canby  sums  up  very  accurately  the  influence  of  Greene's 

5 

work  considered  as  a whole; 


"Romantic  vagueness  is  in  nearly  all  of  Greene's  stories, 
and  is  joined  to  an  excessive  Euphuism,  and  a surfeit  of  dis- 
coursing. It  is,  therefore,  not  surprising  that,  in  spite  of 
the  amount  he  'wrote  and  the  reputation  it  gained  for  him,  he 
can  be  credited  with  no  really  good  short  stories The 


*"The  reformation  of  the  court izan,  however,  appears  real.  I mean  not  that 
the  story  of  it  — the  manner  in  which  it  is  brought  about  --  is  affecting,  but 
the  emotion  which  the  account  of  it  arouses  is  real.  Here,  for  one  of  the  rare 
times  in  Greene,  one  may  let  oneself  go  and  not  feel  that  one  is  mawkish,  too 
easily  moved,  unpercept ive ."  Ibid,  p.  121. 

2 

Cf.  Jordan,  J.  C.,  Robert  Greene,  pp.  96-9?. 

^Cf.  Canby,  H.  S.._The  Short  Story  in  English,  pp.  141-142. 

4lbid,  p.  141.  5TMd.  up.  142  ff. 


V 


94. 


plots  show  a certain  originality.  Some  are  borrowed  entire; 
the  majority  are  either  compounded  of  simple  and  familiar 
themes,  or  made  up  of  original  incident  pieced  out  by 
episodes  borrowed  from  well-known  stories.  It  is  an  attempt,  which 
seems  to  have  been  successful,  to  remodel  foreign  material  for 
the  taste  of  readers  a little  tired  of  the  Italian  novella,  yet 
ready  to  read  new  versions,  in  which  Italian  plots  were  dis- 
guised to  resemble  the  old  and  secretly  loved  romance.  But, 
in  spite  of  their  gorgeous  diction,  there  is  a lack  of  flavor 
in  these  stories.  There  i3  too  much  fine  writing,  too  much 
imitation,  too  little  personality,  though  plenty  of  the 
personal.  The  suspicion  of  hack  work  is  always  upon  them."" 


Yet,  in  justice  to  Greene,  I wish  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  he  did 

contribute  to  narrative  development  by  means  of  his  sporadic  success  in 

character  drawing,  his  cleverness  in  adapting  borrowed  episodes  to  his  purposes, 

and  in  his  occasional  originality  in  plot.  Greene’s  treatment  of  the  common 

people  within  his  stories;  his  better  appreciation  for  comedy;  and  his  ability 

to  forget  Euphuistic  conceits  when  he  is  thoroughly  carried  away  by  his  theme  — 

these  developments  are  not  to  be  neglected.  I have  already  pointed  out  how 

Greene  improved  upon  Lyly,  in  his  Mamillia.  and  his  Conversion  of  an  English 

2 

Courtizan.  with  regard  to  character  drawing,  and  noted  his  sense  of  unity  of 
action  in  Tompkin's  Tale  and  The  Farmer  Bridegroom. 


The  influence  of  the  Greek  learning  brought  through  the  Renaissance  and 
the  revival  of  interest  in  Platonic  philosophy  is  marked  in  many  of  the  lengthy 
arguments  and  debates  of  Greene's  men  and  women.  Like  Pet tie  he  had  "no  mercy 
for  the  narrative"  at  times,  and  herein,  in  his  introduction  of  debates  he  is 
following  the  Italian  influence  also.  The  pastoral  romance  is  in  its  very 
nature  opposed  to  brevity,  hence  there  are  no  short  narratives  from  Greene's 
pen  which  are  pastoral,  like  the  Greek  romances,  but  two  long  prose  works  , 
Pandosto  and  Menephon.are  pastoral  and  doubtless  were  influenced  by  Angell  Day's 
1587  translation  of  Daphnis  and  Chloe.  (Cf.  Jordan,  J.  C.,  Robert  Greene . 
pp.  39-47,  and  footnotes.) 

2 

Prof.  Jordan  has  already  called  attention  to  these  points. 

3Cf . Crane , T . F . , Italian  Social  Customs  of  the  Sixteenth  Century , 

Cornell  Studies  in  English,  Yale  University  Press,  New  Haven,  1920. 


■ 


■ 


. 


95. 


Tarleton's  News  Out  of  Purgatory. 

In  1590  there  was  published  a series  of  eight  stories,  varying  in 
length  from  770  to  3850  words,  included  in  a frame- work,  quite  similar  to 
the  method  of  Greened  Vision.  In  his  Vision,  Robert  Greene  told  of  meeting 
Gower  and  Chaucer  under  an  oak  tree,  in  a dream,  and  there  hearing  these  men 
discuss  the  sin  of  writing  lascivious  literature.  Each  man  told  a story. 
Tarleton's  News  out  of  Pergatory  tells  that  the  author  met  the  ghost  of 
Tarleton,  the  famous  Elizabethan  comedian  and  court  jester,  under  ”a  faire 
tree  that  had  a cool  shade”  and  there  listened  to  his  account  of  purgatory. 

The  News  has  been  attributed  to  Nash,  but  there  is  no  certainty  about  its 
authorship.  I find  more  similarity  between  this  work  and  that  of  Nash  and 
Greene  than  any  other  writers  (Greene  would  hardly  have  failed  to  own  the 
book,  and  Deloney  would  have  been  unable  to  refrain  from  versing).1 

These  narratives  are  not  original , they  are  taken  from  the  old  Gesta 
Romano rum,  old  romances,  Persian  tales  done  into  the  French,  Grange's  Garden 
(1577),  Boccaccio ? Straporola,  etc.  They  are  straightforward  narratives,  free 
from  Euphuism,  but  their  themes  are  coarse,  and  frequently  their  wit  is  unsavory. 
However,  the  least  we  can  say  to  their  credit  is  that  they  continued  the  attempt 
to  write  short  prose  fiction,  and  were  not  lost  in  the  surge  of  the  waves  of 

3 

Euphuistic  burdening  of  narrative. 

This  book  called  forth  a reply  (less  clever,  yet  in  similar  vein)  in  the 
same  year  1590,  The  Cobbler  of  Canterbury:  the  authorship  of  which  is  a matter 
of  conjecture. 

2 

Cf.  Shakespeare  Society  Publications,  vol.  xv,  pp.  53  ff. 

^Cf.  Canby,  H.  S.,  The  Short- story  in  English,  pp.  148-S. 


. 


. 


* 


96. 

Thomas  Lodge. 

The  Life  and  Death  of  William  Lonpheard  (1593)  la  the  only  narrative 
hy  Thomaa  Lodge  which  is  less  than  24,000  words  long,  yet  from  the  title  it  is 
at  once  evident  that  William  Longbeard  is  not  a short-story  theme,  it  relates 
the  entire  life  of  William;  hut  it  is  true  that  Lodge  treats  his  life  in  more 
or  less  disjointed  episodes;  each  episode  is  a tale  of  roguery  or  vice,  and 
consequently  the  narrative  does  not  rise  above  the  rogue  story  type,  though  it 
is  related  with  more  seriousness  than  the  jest-hook  stories  of  Tarleton,  and 
Chettle's  Kind  Hearts1  Dream. * Verses  are  inserted  to  praise  William's  mis- 
tress, Maudeline.  In  15S4  Nash's  Unfortunate  Traveller  appeared,  dedicated 
to  the  Earle  of  Southhampton  and  Baron  of  Tichfield.  In  his  dedication  he  says: 

"All  that  in  this  phantasticall  Treatise  I can  promise,  is 

some  reasonable  conveyance  of  historie,  and  varletie  of  mirth 

it  being  a cleane  different  vaine  from  other  my  former 
courses  of  writing." 

There  follows  a jesting  "induction  to  the  dapper  monsieur  Page  of  the  court." 
This  book  is  to  be  so  reverenced  as  to  cause  men  to  take  off  their  hats  as  they 
pass  the  stationers,  etc.  This  induction  is  "only  let  this  suffice  for  a 
taste  to  the  text  and  a bit  to  pull  on  a good  wit  with,  as  a rasher  on  the 
coales  is  to  pull  on  a cup  of  wine  Heigh  pass,  come  aloft:  every  man  of  you 
take  your  places,  and  heare  Jacke  Wilton  tell  his  own  tale."  It  is  a queer 
mixture  of  rogue  stories,  jests,  lascivious  tales,  and  stories  of  cruelty  and 

^Henry  Chettle's  Kind  Hearts'  Dream  (1594)  can  scarcely  be  called 
narrative.  The  author  under  the  name  of  Kind  Heart,  after  a drinking  party, 
fell  asleep  and  five  papers  were  handed  to  him,  in  his  vision  or  dream,  by 
Greene,  Tarleton,  etc.  They  were  invectives  against  some  of  the  abuses  of 
the  time;  (l)  writing  and  singing  ribald  poems;  (2)  quack  doctoring;  (3)  close 
juggling;  (4)  necromancers;  (5)  envious  criticism  of  contemporary  writers. 

Cf.  Percy  Society,  vol.  5,  pp.  9 ff. 


. 


■ 


. 


' 


. 


' 


97. 

murder.  Told  in  the  first  person,  closing  with  a half-serious  reformation, 
and  declaring  if  his  book  has  pleased  any  one  he  will  try  again. 

In  the  preface  Nash  said  if  he  failed  to  please  he  would  never  more 
write  outlandish  narratives. 

The  Bible,  philosophers,  ancient  wiseacres  are  frequently  quoted. 

Doctor  Faustus  (1592);  Thomas  of  Reading  (1599-1600),  by  Deloney; 

Tom  a Lincoln  (1599)  by  Richard  Johnson  (?)^etc.  are  similar  longer  prose 
narratives,  told  in  episodes,  and  dealing  with  rogues;  in  each  case  the  story 
is  named  for  the  chief  character,  by  which  it  lays  claim  to  some  sort  of  unity. 

Francesco  Colono's  Strife  of  Love  in  a Dream  (1592)  is  built  upon  a 
similar  narrative  structure  but  is  pastoral  in  setting  and  less  brutal  in  jest. 
It  is  over  35,000  words. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  Thomas  Lodge  did  not  write  some  short  prose 
of  equal  interest  and  ability  with  his  longer  romance  Rosalynde  (over  35,000 
words).  When  once  he  had  left  his  frame  of  "the  golden  legacy"  and  had 
launched  into  the  narrative  proper,  Rosalynde  goes  forward  with  gratifying  speed 
and  contains  some  brief  and  convincing  conversation.  Lodge's  critic  in  the 
Dictionary  of  National  Biography  objects  that  "his  graces  are  of  a languid 
order,  and  the  modem  reader  finds  it  tedious  still  when  compared  with  the 
extreme  effects  of  Euphuism  and  the  great  brevity  of  the  un-Euphuistic  rogue 
stories  Lodge  was  accomplishing  much  when  he  sought  the  mean  highway  of 
" langui d grac  e s . " 


Thomas  Deloney 

The  Pleasant  History  of  the  Gentle  Craft „by  Thomas  Deloney  was  pub- 
lished in  1598.  The  entire  work  exceeds  60,000  words,  but  it  is  divided  into 
two  parts:  the  first  "to  all  courteous  readers,"  and  "to  the  gentle  craft," 


. 


. 


■ 


' 


' 


■ 


98. 


and  the  second  hearing  a similar  salutation,  if  more  brief.  This  work  is 
subdivided  into  chapters,  the  first  contains  fifteen  chapters,  and  the  second 
eleven.  Occasionally  a story  is  continued  through  several  chapters,  sometimes 
it  is  finished  in  one  chapter,  making  the  Gentle  Craft  not  unlike  a jest-book 
collection  of  tales.  Professor  Canby  pays  this  tribute  to  The  Gentle  Craft: 


'•It  was  a man  out  of  the  masses  who  first  made  respectable 
literature  from  the  unadorned  stories  of  the  vulgar.  Thomas 
Deloney  was  a silk-weaver  who  had  made  a reputation  by  ballad- 
writing before  turning  to  fiction.  He  tried  several  ventures, 
but  only  one  in  any  way  purports  to  carry  on  the  tradition 
of  the  short- story.  This  was  The  Gentle  Craft  (1597),  a story 
collection  celebrating  the  guild  of  shoemakers,  written  for 
the  uncritical  and  giving  them,  in  a familiar  style,  everything 
old  or  new  in  fiction  that  might  hit  their  fancy.  One  tale  is 
a saint’s  legend,  with  a dash  of  Euphuism;  another  is  a bourgeois 
version  of  a Greenesque  romance;  still  another  a miniature  jest- 
book;  while  in  Simon  Eyre,  and  Richard  Caateler  we  get  pictures 
of  London  life  and  London  manners,  the  best  in  fiction  since 
Chaucer  and  to  be  equalled  only  in  the  underplots  of  the 
contemporary  comedy . 

"Comedy,  indeed,  was  beginning  to  pay  back  its  debt  to 
fiotion.  So  one  may  judge  from  the  thoroughly  natural 
dialogue,  and  the  lively  scenes  from  English  life  in  these 
stories.  But  their  structure  comes  rather  from  the  old 
prose  romance,  the  narrative  ballad,  or  such  native  and  popular 
material.  Fora  in  narrative,  arduously  imported  from  the 
Latins  some  thirty  years  earlier,  had  been  consistently  abused 
by  the  wits,  and  i3  no  serious  consideration  with  the  silk- 
weaver.  His  leanings  are  towards  the  novel,  which  he  could 
not  attain,  and,  gifted  with  great  powers  of  realistic  narrative, 
he  is  blind  to  the  advantage  of  compression,  arrangement,  and 
careful  unity,  which  the  Italian  short  stories,  provided  by 
the  translators,  alone  could  have  taught  him.  His  virtues 
lie  elsewhere.  'Expect  not  herein,'  he  says,  'to  find  any 
matter  of  light  value,  curiously  pen'd  with  pickt  words  or 
choise  phrases,  but  a quaint  and  plaine  discourse  best  fitting 
matters  of  merriment,  seeing  wee  have  herein  no  cause  to  talke 
of  courtiers  or  scholers.'  Now  a'plaine'  narrative  was  what 
story-telling  needed  at  just  this  time,  and  the  'pickt'  word 
the  disease  it  was  sick  of.  Honor  to  Deloney,  therefore,  who 
tried  to  bring  back  unadorned  story-telling  even  if  our  boasted 
'sense  of  form'  would  have  been  a 'pickt'  word  for  him.  Honor 
came  to  him  and  The  Gentle  Craft  in  a remarkable  succession  of 
editions,  but  the  romance  was  too  much  for  the  cause  of  plain 


. 


. 


. 


. 

. 


99. 


narrative,  which  had  to  wait  some  hundred  years  for  a 
fashionable  success. "1 

n 

The  first  narrative  in  The  Gentle  Craft — The  pleasant  History  of 
S.  Hugh:  and  first  of  all,  his  most  constant  love  to  the  faire  Virgin  Winifred 
is  a curious  mixture  of  narrative  structure.  In  length  it  is  about  7,500 
words,  covering  four  of  Deloney’s  chapters . To  begin  with  the  hero  is  Sir  Hugh, 
desperately  in  love  with  Winifred,  who  promises  to  give  him  a reply  to  his 
plea  after  a space  of  three  months.  In  Chapter  II  Winifred  lives  the  life  of 
a religious  recluse,  while  Sir  Hugh  bides  his  time  in  sorrow.  But  she  scorns 
him  when  he  comes  for  his  answer,  and  declares  herself  to  have  set  her  entire 
love  upon  heaven.  Disgusted,  Sir  Hugh  seeks  a place  where  women  do  not  come, 
but  in  vain.  He  roams  from  city  to  city,  always  meeting  with  beauties  that 
remind  him  of  his  unkind  Winifred.  Taking  a boat  for  "the  western  isles" 
he  is  shipwrecked;  if  he  was  a spineless,  doting  lover  before,  now  he  is  the 
most  maudlin  of  Euphuistic  swains:  "0  how  happy  I would  count  oyself 

if  those  fishes  which  shall  live  on  my  bodies  food  might  be  meat  for  my  love! 

It  grieveth  me  much  to  think  that  my  poor  bleeding  heart,  wherein  thy  picture 
is  engraven,  should  be  rent  in  pieces  in  such  greedie  sort;  but  thrice 
accursed  be  that  fish  that  first  setteth  his  nimble  teeth  thereon,  except  he 
swim  therewith  to  my  love,  and  so  deliver  it  as  a present  token  from  me." 

Deloney  rescued  his  hero  on  a strange  shore,  where  dwelled  "monstrous 
men  that  had  but  one  eye  apiece,  and  that  in  the  middle  of  their  foreheads." 
Rescued  from  these,  he  was  in  danger  from  a dragon,  but  a kindly  elephant  led 
him  safely  through  a wilderness,  after  which  Sir  Hugh  took  ship  for  England. 

*The  Short-Story  in  English,  pp . 146-148 . 


. 

. 


. 


100. 


In  Chapter  III  we  are  toll  how  Winifred  "was  imprisoned  and  condemned 
to  die  for  her  religion:  and  how  Sir  Hugh  became  a shoomaker,  and  afterwards 
cane  to  suffer  death  with  his  Love;  showing  also  how  the  Shoomakers  tools 
came  to  be  called  Saint  Hughs  bones,  and  the  trade  of  Shoo-making,  The  Gentle 
Craft . 11  Winifred  chose  death  by  bleeding,  and  Hugh  was  grateful  when  he  was 

condemned  to  die  by  drinking  her  blood  into  which  they  put  poison. 

Chapter  IV  tells  of  the  roguery  of  the  Gentle  Craft  in  profiteering 
with  Hugh's  bones. 

There  is  certainly  more  Euphuism,  and  ^est-book  spirit  than  saint's 
legend  in  this  narrative. 

In  Simon  Eyre  and  Richard  Casteler  we  do  get  good  "pictures  of  London 
life  and  London  manners,"  but  the  characters  are  only  emerging  from  the  lay 
figure  stage  into  which  Euphuism  had  thrust  them.  Margaret  and  Gillian  of  the 
George  are  sometimes  individuals,  sometimes  mere  Punch  and  Judy  figures; 

Robin  and  Richard,  also,  but  certainly  they  are  more  nearly  alive  than  Sir  Hugh 
or  Winifred.1  London  itself  is  very  vaguely  pictured;  descriptive  setting  as 
usual  within  this  century  was  considered  of  minor  importance. 


Nicholas  Breton 

One  more  writing,  1,560  words  in  extent,  should  be  mentioned  in  our 

survey  of  the  century  — The  Miseries  of  Mamillia  by  Nicholas  Breton,  published 

— - — ^ 


Winifred  became  as  maudlin  as  Hugh:  "At  what  time  the  Lady  turned  herself 

to  Sir  Hugh  and  spake  to  this  effect :f Now  do  I find  thee  a perfect  lover  indeed, 
that  having  settled  thy  affections  above  the  skies,  art  readie  to  yield  thy  life 
for  thy  love,  who,  in  requitall  thereof,  will  give  thee  thy  life  forever*,"  and 
so  she  grants  him  "one  chaste  and  loving  kisse  from  my  dying  lips^." 


v> 


- 


101. 


in  1596  (?).*  Although  the  narrative  is  brief  and  secures  a certain  amount 

of  unity  through  the  character  Mamillia  who  recites  her  woes,  it  does  not 

2 

represent  a short-story  theme.  The  action  is  almost  an  unplotted  series  of 
circumstances . It  is  not  rich  in  incident,  but  tries  to  develop  sentiment 
in  regard  to  its  incidents.  Breton's  style  is  important,  since  it  is  not  elabo- 
rate, but  is  valued  by  historians  of  prose  narrative  for  its  simplicity.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  emotional  portrayal  of  incident  is  Euphuistic,  and  the  seek- 
ing for  gruesome  detail  (Mamillia1 s loathsome  lover's  kisses,  and  the  scene 
wherein  her  nose  is  bittesn  off,  for  example)  is  like  Painted  or  Fenton's 
most  revolting  scenes.  The  conclusion  is  similar  to  if  more  direct  than 
Fenton, — Mamillia' s husband  dies  of  passion  after  killing  her  enemy,  and  she 
dies  crying  out,  "I  hope  to  go  to  God;  I bid  you  all  farewell." 

A resume  of  the  progress  of  narrative  in  the  sixteenth  century  reveals 
a lack  of  a conscious  attempt  to  produce  a short  prose  fiction  which  should  be 
the  result  of  one  vivid  emotional  impression  conveyed  effectively  to  the  reader. 
The  leading  motives  of  sixteenth  century  authors  were  didacticism,  imitation, 
and  a propensity  to  relate  coarse  jests  and  lascivious  tales.  The  story  sense 
appeared  now  and  then  in  the  sporadic  success  of  an  author,  who,  however,  did 
not  realize  wherein  his  real  ability  lay.  Creative  genius  was  rare.  There 
were  only  occasionally  sincere  attempts  at  realism.  The  best  stories  of  the 
period  of  1500-1565  were  translations  --  The  Gesta  Romanorum.  and  The  Goodli 
History  of  Lucres.  William  Painter,  the  best  writer  of  short-stories  within 

1 

Earliest  edition  extant  is  1599. 

^There  are  five  separate  "miseries"  of  Mamillia;  the  action  includes 
Mamiliia's  entire  life,  it  does  not  crystallize  around  one  "situation." 


. 


102. 

the  second  division  of  the  century  (1566-1579),  translated  four  good  short 
prose  fictions;  The  Love  of  Antiochus  with  Faire  Stratonica,  King  Cyrus  and 
the  Lady  Panthea,  Arnadour  and  Florinda,  and  Mithridanes  and  Nathan . Geoffrey 
Fenton  developed  a hetter  technique  in  delineation  of  setting  and  character, 
hut  lacked  the  directness  of  Painter,  and  George  Pettie  wandered  still  further 
from  an  appropriate  style  for  a short-story;  neither  wrote  original  narrative. 

Barnaby  Riche  (1581)  made  a noteworthy  departure  when  he  invented 
five  of  the  nine  narratives  in  his  Farewell  to  Military  Profession,  though  he 
did  not  lift  English  prose  to  a nobler  tone.  Robert  Greene  wrote  three 
original  short-stories,  Tompkins  Tale  in  Greene* s Vision.  The  Farmer  Bridegroom 
in  A Groatsworth  of  Wit,  and  The  Conversion  of  an  English  Court lzan.  In  these 
he  was  fairly  successful  in  plot  and  character  delineation.  In  the  work  of 
Thomas  Lodge  there  was  a breaking  away  from  the  trappings  of  Euphuism,  and  a 
new  taste  for  English  characters  and  English  scenes,  rather  than  Italian  ones. 
Deloney,  in  his  Gentle  Craft,  introduced  a better  comedy,  more  English  scenes, 
and  had  some  success  in  the  realistic  portrayal  of  English  life  in  the  vicinity 
of  London,  among  the  lower  classes  of  people. 

All  of  the  elements  of  good  narrative  technique  were  recognized  by 
someone  at  some  time  within  the  century, — Painter’s  translation  of  Mithridanes 
and  Nathan  being  the  best  success  in  reaching  unity  of  impression. 

English  short  prose  fiction  received  its  impetus  through  the 
Italian  novelle;  consequently  it  suffered  from  its  vices  at  the  same  time  that 
it  profited  by  its  virtues:  the  English  stories  gained  from  the  novelle  zest, 

simplicity  of  action  and  rapid  development  of  plot;  it  also  imitated  the  Italian 
themes  of  lust  and  trickery. 


- 


- 


103. 


The  great  English  genius  of  the  sixteenth  century,  William 
Shakespeare,  began  his  work  too  late  to  influence  its  prose  through  his  drams j 
instead  he  himself  profited  by  the  Pest a Romano rum.  Doctor  Faustus.  The  Palace 
of  Pleasure.  Tarleton's  News.  Lodge's  Bosalynde . and  Barnaby  Riche's  narratives. 
The  successes  of  these  men  in  prose  fiction  were  destined  to  be  used  in 
the  immediate  enrichment  of  the  English  drama,  while  the  short-story  waited 
for  a more  convenient  time. 


• . 


I 


104. 


1510-15 

1510-30 

1550-60 

1566- 

1567- 

1568- 9 
1569 

1572 

1576 

1581 

1580-S2 

1584 

1587 

C1589 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 
The  More  Important  Texts 


Gesta  Romano rum,  edited  by  Early  English  Text  Society,  Extra 
series,  No.  XXXIII,  London,  1879. 

Robert  the  Devil,  Helyas,  Knight  of  the  Swanne,  Vlrgilius.  Friar 
Bacon.  George-a-Greene . Guy  of  Warwick.  Robin  Hood.  W.  J.  Thoms, 
Early  English  Prose  Romances,  re-edited  by  E.  A.  Baker,  London, 
1907. 

The  Goodli  History  of  the  Lady  Lucres  of  Scene  in  Tuskane  and  of 
her  lover  Eurislus,  translation  from  Aeneas  Silvius  Piccolomini , 
ed.  H.  H.  Gibbs,  Roxburgh  Club,  London,  1873. 

Painter,  William,  The  Palace  of  Pleasure.  3 vol.,  ed.  Joseph  Jacobs, 
London,  1890. 

Fenton,  Geoffrey,  Tragical  Discourses  . The  Tudor  Translations,  ed. 

W.  E.  Henley,  London,  1898. 

Friar  Rush.  W.J.  Thomas,  re-edited  by  E.  A.  Baker,  London,  1907. 

Hellodorus.  translation  by  Thomas  Underdowne , Tudor  Translations, 
ed.  W.  E.  Henley,  London,  1895. 

Gascoigne,  George,  The  Adventures  of  Master  Ferdlnando  Jeronimi  and 
Leonora  de  Valasco,  translated  from  Bartello,  edited  by  John  W. 
Cunliffe  , in  The  Posies,  p.  435,  Cambridge,  1907. 

Pet tie,  George,  The  Petite  Palace  of  Pettle  His  Pleasure.  The 
King's  Classics  under  the  general  editorship  of  Professor  I. 
Gollancz,  in  2 vols.,  London,  1908. 

Riche,  Bamaby,  Riche,  his  Farewell  to  Military  Profession: 
Shakespeare  Society  Publication,  vol.  XVI,  London,  1842. 

Greene,  Robert,  complete  works  in  the  Kuth  Library.  15  vols. 
edited  by  Alexander  B.  Grosart,  London,  1881-86. 

Lodge,  Thomas,  Forbonlus  and  Prisceria.  printed  for  the  Hunterian 
Club,  Complete  Works,  vol.  3,  Glascow,  1883. 

Daye,  Angell,  Daphnls  and  Chloe.  f rora  Amyot ' s translation  of  Longus, 
edited  by  Joseph  Jacobs,  London,  1890. 

History  of  Hamlet.  W.  J.  Thoms,  Early  English  Prose  Romances,  edited 
by  E.  A.  Baker,  London,  1907. 


. 


. . 


. 


■ 


105. 


1590  Tarleton's  News  out  of  Purgatory.  Shakespeare  Society  Publication. 

vol.  15,  London,  1842. 

Lodge,  Thomas,  Roaalynde  Euphues  Golden  Legacy,  vol.  4 in 
Complete  Works. 

1591  Lodge,  Thoms,  History  of  Robert  Duke  of  Normndy.  vol.  4 in 

Complete  Works. 

1592  Doctor  Faustus.  W.  J.  Thoms,  Early  English  Prose  Romances,  edited 

"by  E.  A.  Baker,  London,  1907. 

Chet tie,  Henry,  Kind  Heart's  Dream.  Percy  Society,  vol.  5,  London, 
1841. 

1593  Lodge,  Thomas,  Life  and  Death  of  William  Longbeard.  vol.  4 in 

Complete  Works . 

1594  Nash,  Thomas,  The  Unfortunate  Traveller,  complete  works  in  the 

Huth  Library,  vol.  5,  London,  1883-84. 

1596  Lodge,  Thomas,  A Marguerite  of  America,  vol.  in  Complete  Works. 

1597-1600  Deloney,  Thomas,  Thomas  of  Reading.  W.  J.  Thoms,  Early  English 
Prose  Romances,  edited  by  E.  A.  Baker,  London,  1907. 

1598  Deloney,  Thomas,  The  Gentle  Craft,  The  Pleasant  History  of  Thomas 

of  Reading:  The  Works  of  Thomas  Deloney.  edited  by  Francis  Oscar 
Mann,  Oxford,  1912. 

1599  Breton,  Nicholas,  The  Miseries  of  Mavillia,  Chert sey  Worthie 's 

Library,  edited  by  A.  B.  Grosart,  Edinburgh,  1879. 

Tom  a Lincoln,  W.  J.  Thoms,  Early  English  Prose  Romances,  ed. 

E.  A.  Baker,  London,  1907. 


The  Theory  and  Definition  of  the  Short- Story 

1846  Poe,  Edgar  A.,  Graham *8  Magazine,  April,  1846;  Complete  Works,  ed. 
James  A.  Harrison,  New  York,  1902;  vol.  14,  p.  193  ff.:  The 
Philosophy  of  Composition. 

1885  Matthews,  Brander,  Lipplncott^  Magazine  for  October  1885;  The 
Philosophy  of  the  Short- story.  New  York,  1901. 

1890  Thompson,  Daniel  Greenleaf,  The  Philosophy  of  Fiction  in  Literature. 
London,  1890;  chap.  14,  p.  206  ff. 


. 


• . 


• • 


■ 


106. 


1896  Ivlatthewa,  Brandar,  Aspects  of  Fiction.  New  York,  1896;  chap.  6, 

p.  226. 

1902  Canby,  Henry  Seidel,  The  Short  Story.  Yale  Studies  in  English, 

New  York,  1902. 

Cody,  Sherwin,  The  World's  Greatest  Short-stories.  New  York,  1902; 
Preface;  pp.  11-15;  Introd.;  pp.  17-32. 

Perry,  Bliss,  A Study  of  Prose  Fiction.  New  York,  1902;  chap.  12: 
The  Short-Story. 

1905  Patten,  William,  American  Short-story  Classics.  New  York,  1905; 

Introduction,  p.  xiii,  The  Spirit  of  the  Short  Story. 

Whitcomb,  Selaon  L.,  The  Study  of  the  Novel.  Boston,  1905; 
chap.  XII,  pp.  221,  179. 

1908  Hamilton,  Clayton,  Materials  and  Methods  of  Fiction.  New  York, 

1908,  Chap.  X,  XI,  and  Introduction. 

1909  Albright,  Evelyn  M. , The  Short-Story.  New  York,  1909;  Introduction 

and  bibliography. 

Canby,  Henry  S.,  The  Short- Story  in  English.  New  York,  1909;  Intro- 
duction, p.  104,  and  Chap.  VII. 

Esenwein,  J.  Berg,  Writing  the  Short-Story,  New  York,  1909; 
Introduction  and  Part  I. 

1910  Great  English  Short-story  Writers.  The  Header’s  Library.  New  York, 

1910;  Chapter  on  "The  Evolution  of  the  Short-Story." 

1911  Pansier,  Harriott  Ely,  Types  of  Prose  Narratives.  Chicago,  1911; 

Preface,  Introduction,  Chap.  6. 

Waite  and  Taylor,  Modem  Masterpieces  of  Short  Prose  Fiction. 
Chicago,  1911,  Introduction. 

1912  Baldwin,  Charles  Sears,  American  Short-Stories.  New  York,  1912, 

Introduction;  Preface. 

1913  Canby,  Henry  S.,  A Study  of  the  Short-story.  New  York,  1913. 

1914  Ashum,  Margaret,  Modern  Short  Stories.  New  York,  1914,  Preface  and 

Introduction. 

Cross,  Eathan  Allen,  The  Short- Story.  Chicago,  1914;  Chap.  I,  VIII. 
Grabo,  Carl  H.,  The  Art  of  the  Short  Story.  New  York,  1914. 


. 


. 


. 


. 


107. 


1914  Notestein,  Lucy  L.,  and  Waldo  H.  Dunn,  The  Modern  Short  Story. 

New  York,  1914. 

Sherman,  Stuart  P.,  A Book  of  Short  Stories.  New  York,  1914, 
Introduction. 

Winchester,  C.  T.,  Principles  of  Literary  Criticism.  New  York,  1914; 
Chap . 8 . 

Williams,  Blance  Cotlon,  Handbook  on  Short- story  Writing.  New  York, 
1914. 

1915  Hale  and  Dawson,  Elements  of  the  Short-Story.  New  York,  1915, 

Introduction. 

1916  Drury,  F.  K.  W. , A List  of  Short-  Stories  and  Tales.  White  Plains, 

N.  Y.,  1916. 

1917  Pitkin,  Walter  B.,  The  Art  and  the  Business  of  Short-story  Writing. 

New  York,  1917;  pp.:  141-187;  193-216;  1-48;  74-77;  92-120. 

1918  Hamilton,  Clayton,  A Manual  of  the  Art  of  Fiction.  Garden  City,  N.  Y.  , 

1918;  Introd.  by  Brander  Matthews. 

Neal,  Robert  Wilson,  Today's  Short-Stories  Analyzed.  New  York,  1918. 


The  History  of  the  Short -Story  in  the  Sixteenth  Century 


1886  Herford,  Charles  II.,  Literary  Relations  of  England  and  Germany  in  the 

Sixteenth  Century.  Cambridge,  1886;  Introd.,  Chap.  IV  and  V.,  pp.165- 
241,  293-322. 

1890  Jusserand,  J.  J.,  The  English  Novel  in  the  Time  of  Shakespeare. 

translated  by  Eliz.  Lee,  London,  1890;  pp.  81-84. 

1891  Tuckerman,  Bayard,  A History  of  English  Prose  Fiction.  The  Knicker- 

bocker Press,  New  York,  1891;  Chap.  III. 

1894  Raleigh,  Walter,  The  English  Novel.  New  York,  1894;  Chap.  I,  II. 

Slmonds,  William  E.,  An  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  English  Fiction. 
1894;  Chap.  II,  p.  36:  table  of  romances. 

1902  Bond,  R.  Warwick,  The  Complete  Works  of  John  Lyly,  Oxford,  1902, 

vol.  I,  pp.  119,  138. 

1906-7  Wolff,  Dr.  S.  L. , Robert  Greene  and  the  Italian  Renaissance.  English 
Studies,  vol.  37,  pp.  357  ff. 


. . 

• • 


■ 

- • 


108. 


1907  Thoms,  W.  J.,  Early  English  Prose  Romances,  ed.  E.  A.  Baker, 

New  York,  1907;  Introduction. 

Einstein,  Lewis,  The  Italian  Renaissance  in  England.  New  York,  1907; 
Chap.  3,  3,  4;  Appendix  B. 

1908  Warren,  F.  M. , History  of  the  Novel  Previous  to  the  Seventeenth 

Century,  New  York,  1908,  p.  336. 

1909  Jusserand,  J.  J.,  A Literary  History  of  the  English  People,  New  York, 

1909. 

1911  Cross,  Wilbur  L. , Development  of  the  English  Novel.  New  York, 

1911;  Appendix. 

Dunlop,  John  Colin,  History  of  Fiction,  ed.  Henry  Wilson,  London,  1911, 
vol . II. 

Williams,  Harold,  Two  Centuries  of  the  English  Novel,  London,  1911  , 
Chap . I . 

1913  Esdaile,  Arundell,  English  Tales  and  Romances.  London,  1912;  Part  I. 

Holliday,  Carl,  English  Fiction  from  the  Fifth  to  the  Twentieth 
Century.  New  York,  1912,  Chap.  V. 

Tieje,  Arthur  Jerrold,  The  Expressed  Aims  of  Long  Prose  Fiction 
from  1579-1740.  Journal  of  English  and  Germanic  Philology.  1912, 
vol.  11. 

1913  Tieje,  Arthur  Jerrold,  A Peculiar  Phase  of  the  Theory  of  Realism  in 

Pre-Richardsonian  Fiction.  Mod.  Lang.  Assn.  Pub.,  for  1913,  vol.  28, 
pp.  213-252. 

Tieje,  Arthur  Jerrold,  The  Critical  Heritage  of  Fiction  in  1579. 
Englische  Studien,  1913,  vol.  47. 

1915  Hopkins  and  Hughes,  The  English  Novel  Before  the  Nineteenth  Century. 

Boston,  1915. 

Jordan,  John  Clarke,  Robert  Greene.  New  York,  1915. 

1916  Scott,  Mary  Augusta,  Elizabethan  Translations  from  the  Italian. 

Cambridge,  1916. 

1917  Pat tee,  Fred  Lewis,  The  Short  Story.  Cambridge  History  of  American 

Literature,  New  York,  1917,  vol.  2,  Chap.  VI,  pp.  367-395. 

Savage , Howard  J . , The  Beginning  of  the  Italian  Influence  in  English 
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>pp.  1-21:  The  G-oodll  History  of  Lucres. 


